Enemies Within, Enemies Without
by WiseTomato
Summary: In the wake of what the Winter Battle could have been, titans pause to rest. During their reprieve, new powers rise, and those holding them grow complacent as Aizen schemes from hiding. Now is the time for the titans to awake, and do battle once more.
1. The Curtain Is Raised

**Prologue: The Curtain is Raised....**

The assault on the living world has been repulsed, and Aizen has gone into hiding, abandoning all but a few of his precious Espada to their fates. Furious at his betrayal, those that survived have defected, and now wander Hueco Mundo. That is not to say that Sereitei survived unscathed, although their strongest warriors are healing, slowly rebuilding and gaining new strength. The real world has had its own share of casualties, including a close friend of the Shinigami Substitute, Arisawa Tatsuki. The Substitute in question, Kurosaki Ichigo, has decided that he needs to play a greater role in Sereitei itself, and spends a great deal of his time there, supporting his comrade and close friend Kuchiki Rukia, leaving the defence of the real world to Yasutora Sado, Ishida Uryuu and Inoue Orihime.

With the temporary defeat of Aizen, some members of Sereitei have become complacent, believing themselves safe from the former captain's schemes. These groups have turned their focus away from self-defence, and begun plotting to gain some part of the power left vacant by Aizen's massacre of the Central 46. The elders of the Four Noble Families, led by the Kuchiki elders, have made a strong push for the reinstatement of the institution. This push was supported by the majority of the nobility, made nervous by their lack of power in regards to the running of Sereitei. One year after the defeat of Aizen, the Central 46 was reinstated. To all intents and purposes, it appeared to run as it had before, smoothly handing out edicts and laws. There are only a few in all of Sereitei who know that the Central 46 proceeds according to the wills of three shadowy figures.

Power was taken away from the Captain Commander, Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryusai, and handed back to the Central 46. They wasted no time in establishing their new-found authority, confirming or rejecting all decisions made since the Ryoka Incident. While most of the decisions made by the Central 46 were accepted as law by the Gotei 13, one was met with unanimous resistance. When the Central 46 announced its intention to banish and seal the powers of Kurosaki Ichigo, they were calmly informed by Kyouraku Shunsui, Ukitake Joushiro, Unohana Retsu, Hitsugaya Toushirou, Kuchiki Byakuya, and not so calmly by Zaraki Kenpachi, that to even attempt to do so would result in open insurrection on behalf of their respective squads. The figures in control of the Central 46 backed down, not so confident of their new found powers that they would risk confrontation with several of the most powerful beings in Sereitei.

Time passed, and Sereitei became rife with political manouvering, attention turning inwards and away from the external threat of Aizen Sousuke. Another year passes, and time marches on. Kurosaki Ichigo begins to find more excuses to travel to Sereitei, despite being in his last year of schooling. Many, Kuchiki Byakuya among them, suspect that a certain short, violet eyed shinigami is the reason behind this. Ichigo is reunited with his childhood friend, Arisawa Tatsuki, who had entered the Soul Academy, and surprisingly retained many of her memories. Tatsuki is now the sixth seat of the 2nd squad, and under Soi Fon taicho's watchful eye has trained to become the equal of a lieutenant in power.

The forces of the real world, Kurosaki's friends Uryuu, Sado and Orihime, have not become lax in their duties as protectors of Karakura Town. Their power grows daily, and has drawn the attention of Sereitei, wary of another group of powerful individuals not under their control. But, wary of the reaction last time they attempted to interfere with one of those labeled as a 'Ryoka Hero', the Central 46 has opted to observe for the time being.

So stands the situation in Heaven and Earth. Reports from the world of Hueco Mundo are disjointed, fuzzy, leaving those receiving them to guess at what might be coming over the horizon, even as they contemplate it. This is the story of the third blade, and thus is it brought down.

**So? What'd you guys all think? Tried to go for the whole 'epic scale' on this one, being all formal with the language and stuff. Review, tell me if you like the idea. If you want to know a bit more about the possible storyline, give us a yell and i'll explain, so long as it doesnt ruin any surprises. I'm also open to anyone who can help me with the Japanese spelling. All I'll say here is that if you like Vaizards, you should like this story. So long as I don't muck it up. Alright. Catchya later. **


	2. And The Stage Is Set

The sound of clashing swords rang through the air. The entire group of new recruits were executing their assigned patterns perfectly, terrified of the man instructing them. The man in question paced around the training area, scowling at anyone who averted their gaze from their opponent. Finally, he called a halt. The exhausted beginner shinigami collapsed against the wall of the training room. Their instructor ran a hand through his bright orange hair, puzzled as to why he was here. There was a call from the entrance of the training room.

"Ichigo!"

Kurosaki Ichigo, Substitute Shinigami currently in charge of training the less talented members of the 13th squad, turned to see a short, violet eyed shinigami approaching him.

"Hey, Rukia."

Rukia stopped in front of him, running her gaze over the exhausted recruits.

"The idea is to train them, Ichigo, not work them to death."

Ichigo shrugged. "They don't seem to need training. They finished up without any mistakes. Pretty much a perfect session."

Rukia paused before replying. "That's surprising. Ukitake-sensei told me that this group was the least talented of the new recruits for the squad..."

Ichigo smirked. "Maybe its just because I'm just such a great teacher." He hopped around in pain as Rukia kicked him in the shin.

"I see you're still the same arrogant baka."

Ichigo groaned as he stopped rubbing his shin. "It's good to see you again, Rukia."

Rukia looked up at her orange haired friend, smiling before replying. "You were here only last weekend. At this rate you'll have to repeat the school year." Then her voice softened. "It's good to see you too, baka."

Ichigo grinned at the insult, knowing it was her way of showing affection. "I'm off to see Tatsuki. I haven't managed to run into her the last few times I've been here."

Rukia nodded, knowing that the loss of his childhood friend had hurt before he had found her again in Sereitei. "Ukitake-sensei wanted me to pass on his thanks. I'll tell him you did a good job with the training today. Maybe he'll ask you back again?"

Ichigo groaned in mock protest. He wouldn't mind having an excuse to spend more time around the 13th Division. "Sure. I wouldn't mind terrifying some more recruits."

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "I knew it couldn't be because you were a good teacher. You had the poor kids scared half to death."

"Either way, I got the job done, right? I'm off to see Tatsuki...have fun with this lot!" With that, he flashed away, using Shunpo to reach the 2nd Division.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo was halfway to the 2nd Division headquarters when he felt a wave of reiatsu pulsing towards him with killing intent. Instinctively, he grabbed Zangetsu, swinging it towards the attack aimed at him.

"_Getsuga Tenshou!"_

The crescent of blue energy met a shroud of daggers in mid-air, causing a large detonation. Surprisingly, there was a laugh.

"Geez Ichigo, that seemed a bit unnecessary. You wouldn't be compensating for something would you?"

Ichigo scowled as he recognized the speaker, letting his reiatsu relax. "Dammit Tatsuki....You've been hanging around Soi Fon and Yoruichi for too long."

Tatsuki laughed again as she joined Ichigo on the roof he was standing on. "You should have come and visited me last time you were here."

Ichigo actually managed to look guilty, but Tatsuki continued to tease him. "Oh, you were too busy with Rukia weren't you?" She got the response she wanted in the form of a scowl from Ichigo.

"I reckon I've been spending as much time around Rukia as you have around Renji."

Tatsuki paused, shocked. "How did you know we're together?"

Silence.

More silence.

"YOU'RE TOGETHER??" Ichigo held his stomach as he burst into uncontrollable laughter. "I had no idea! I thought you were just spending tons of time at the 6th Division!"

Ichigo's disbelief was compounded when he actually saw a blush—yes, a blush on Tatsuki's face. "Shut up! You don't have to look to shocked...we actually haven't told anyone yet, so if you wouldn't mind..."

"Jeez, me 'n' Rukia's childhood friends...." Ichigo got himself under control with a mammoth effort. "So, what've you been up to lately? How's training going?"

Tatsuki's blush disappeared. "Pretty good! Soi Fon-taicho sent me on another patrol in the living world the other day, to do some more training with Yoruichi-san. That's when Kagemusha," Tatsuki indicated her still released zanpukutou "taught me an offensive move for her released form."

Ichigo inspected her zanpukutou. Its released form was a short, slightly curved blade, designed for stabbing and disabling an opponent, but could also be easily used to kill quickly. There was a red tassel attached to the base of the hilt, similar to the one on his own original zanpukutou. Tatsuki was holding it in a reversed grip, with the tip pointing upwards.

"That attack you learnt, it wouldn't be the one you just used on me, would it?"

"Yep, pretty cool isn't it?" Tatsuki replied, with a great deal of enthusiasm, considering she had just tried to kill him with said attack. "It forges daggers from the spirit particles in the air around me, and they explode when they hit a target. I'm working on controlling when they explode too."

"Little bit inaccurate isn't it?"

Tatsuki raised an eyebrow. "This coming from the guy who has a meat cleaver for a sword?" She shook her head. "I can also send the daggers out in a single line, or even just one or two at a time, although its easier to just summon them and throw, rather than taking time to aim."

Ichigo nodded, absorbing all the information about her zanpukutou. "How bout Shunpo? Yoruichi-san teaching you that too?" He watched as Tatsuki's face lit up with pride.

"Yep, she says I'm almost as fast as Byakuya."

"Don't let him hear you say that..."

Tatsuki just laughed again. "Yoruichi-san said the same thing. Race you to the 6th Division!"

Tatsuki disappeared without further warning, leaving Ichigo to give out a curse and follow in her path.

Several minutes later, Ichigo appeared at the entrance to the 6th Division, followed closely by Tatsuki, both breathing heavily.

"Damn, you are nearly as fast as Byakuya..."

"Who's nearly as fast as the taicho?"

Ichigo looked up, to see a mass of red hair in leading a group of what looked like new recruits.

"Hey, a red pineapple."

Tatsuki fought to hold in a laugh at her boyfriends expression to Ichigo's taunt.

"Hey, put me down in front of the recruits and I'll have to kick your ass, Strawberry!"

"I told you, my name doesn't mean Strawberry!"

Tatsuki interrupted before their argument could get out of hand. "Uh, guys, hate to interrupt, but I think Renji is supposed to be taking these guys out for training." She indicated the group of nervous looking shinigami standing behind Renji. Ichigo looked over the red heads shoulder to examine them.

"You got saddled with this too? I got roped into the same thing over at 13th Division."

Renji smirked before replying. "And I'm sure the fact that it was asked by a certain midget fuku-taicho had nothing to do with it."

**(A/N: Yes, I promoted Rukia to fuku-taicho. I figured she would have gotten it after the Winter War. And can someone tell me if that is how you spell 'fuku-taicho'?)**

Ichigo blushed several shades of red before replying. "Shut up pineapple head!"

Renji doubled over in pain as an elbow was driven painfully into his stomach. "Who would this midget you are talking about be, Renji?"

Renji looked up to see a pair of narrowed violet eyes. "N-no one, Rukia."

Rukia, still somewhat out of breath from her journey from the 13th Division, nodded impassively. "Good to hear." She turned to Tatsuki with a smile as Renji waved his recruits on to the training area. "It's good to see you too, Tatsuki."

Before Tatsuki could reply, Ichigo cut across her, making sure the recruits were out of earshot. "Hey Rukia, you really shouldn't manhandle Tatsuki's boyfriend you know."

Renji bit back a gasp and Tatsuki let loose a few particularly vile curses at Ichigo as Rukia blinked in surprise, before rushing over to hug Tatsuki. "I'm so happy for you! How long have you been together?"

"Geez, you'd think they'd announced that they were getting married."

Ichigo was ignored as Tatsuki replied. "Only a few weeks now, we met up at a party that was thrown by Kyouraku-taicho."

Rukia smiled, genuinely happy for her childhood friend. She had arrived in time to hear Renji accuse Ichigo of training the 13th Division recruits only because she had asked, and had clearly heard Ichigo's stuttered reply. He hadn't denied it either. Her smile widened, and she returned her thoughts to the conversation in time to hear Ichigo's next question.

"How come there's so many new recruits around at the moment? The 4th, 6th, 7th, 10th,,11th, the 13th, hell, even the 8th have got some."

"The 2nd Division is getting a lot too, not as many as the other squads, but more than usual." Tatsuki spoke up.

Renji shrugged, while Rukia threw him a withering glare. "Don't you pay any attention to what goes on at the Captains meetings? The Soutaicho ordered all the squads who could do so to bolster their numbers."

"How come the other squads aren't recruiting as well?" Ichigo wanted to know. Rukia answered him.

"The first squad is invitation only, and is more of a formal or ceremonial squad, so they don't suffer as many casualties as the rest of the squads. The 3rd, 5th and 9th still don't have Captains, so their lieutenants have just been told to rebuild rather than recruit. And no one really wants to join the 12th, and Kurotsuchi-taicho isn't interested in recruiting either."

Further conversation was cut off by an explosion that came from the direction of the training arena. Renji sighed. "I asked Rikichi to start them on kido training..."

Rukia nodded. "I was called to have lunch with Nii-sama. He wants to discuss ways to reduce the influence of the Central 46 with the few family elders still loyal only to him."

Ichigo shuddered at the thought of lunch with Byakuya before replying. "At least he's including you in the meeting."

Rukia's face showed her pride. "Yes, Nii-sama has begun to rely on me in matters regarding the Central 46." Then her face became mischievous. "I believe he said it was because I have previous experience in indirectly disobeying authority."

Renji and Ichigo both stared, jaws dropping. "He made a joke?"

Rukia frowned at them with mock severity. "Nii-sama makes jokes all the time. Now if you'll excuse me..." Without another word she swept away, leaving the two men gaping in her wake. Another muted explosion drew their attention back to the training arena. Ichigo and Renji glanced at each other before running to the arena in a vain attempt to prevent further damage. Tatsuki sighed a followed at a more sedate pace.

When the three of them arrived in the training area, they saw several recruits sporting new, charred looks and the shinigami that Renji had asked to supervise them, Rikichi, was struggling to keep several more under control. Without thinking, both Ichigo and Renji roared for quiet, then looked at each other, somewhat embarrassed at being caught by the other in a role of responsibility. Tatsuki shook her head at their folly as Rikichi approached them.

"I'm sorry Abarai-san, but they don't want to listen to me...do you think you could show them how to perform the kido properly?"

Ichigo and Renji drew back to confer. "Can you cast kido Kurosaki?"

Ichigo shook his head. "I'm worse than you...I've never even had any training." He looked at Renji. "We could just scare them into it."

Renji grinned diabolically, glancing at the squabbling recruits. "You get their attention, I'll follow up on it."

Ichigo turned to the recruits, letting reiatsu pulse outwards as he shouted. "OI! PAY ATTENTION YOU MAGGOTS, OR YOU'LL HAVE WORSE THAN YOUR LIEUTENANT TO DEAL WITH!!"

There was an instant silence in the room, and Renji grinned inwardly as he stepped up to the plate. He was going to enjoy this....

"This is a disgrace! I thought the 11th squad had commandeered our training room...."

Several hours later, and the afternoon sun was sinking over the horizon. The training session had gone well at first, with the majority of the recruits too terrified to even consider disobeying their instructions. When the time came for zanpukutou practice, several of the less intimidated members of the recruits had decided that it was time to get some payback on their red and orange haired tormentors. Needless to say, things hadn't gone well for the recruits in question. They were now enjoying the hospitality of the 4th Squad after vexing their two instructors, while they relaxed on the rooftop of the 6th Division headquarters.

"I can't believe you actually sent four of them to the hospital..." Tatsuki had stayed to watch the entire training session, explaining that she had been given the day to rest after training with Yoruichi.

"We only sent two of them to the hospital." Ichigo contradicted. It was Rikichi who had injured the other two, after he had overheard them saying how they couldn't believe how such a weakling had become their lieutenant.

"Still, I think it was a good training session. We taught them a little about kido and zanjetsu, and more importantly," Renji chuckled "we taught them to fear their lieutenant."

"Still, that was a bit harsh, treating them like that." Surprisingly, that was from Tatsuki.

"Hey, you think we were harsh, you should go to one of the 10th Squad's training session." Renji shuddered. "I hate to think what Matsumoto would do to them."

Ichigo chuckled, remembering Matsumoto's two dangerous 'weapons'. He stood up as something-or someone- on the ground caught his eye. "I'll give you two guys some time alone. And remember, there's more comfortable places than the rooftop for certain things!"

Renji managed to blush slightly as Tatsuki sat up and stared directly at Ichigo. "You're starting to sound like your father Ichigo."

Ichigo shuddered violently. "Gods, don't say that. I'll have nightmares."

Tatsuki and Renji both laughed as he flash stepped down to ground level, reappearing beside a figure that had just exited the main building.

"Who's he talking to?" Renji was curious.

Tatsuki glanced downwards. "I think it's Rukia."

Renji chuckled and reached up to pull Tatsuki back down beside him. She fell upon his chest, letting him wrap his arms around her. "Like Ichigo said, there's more comfortable places than a rooftop for those sort of things."

Tatsuki raised her eye suggestively and placed her hands on his chest, leaning in to place a delicate kiss on Renji's lips, before leaning back and disappearing. Renji lay frozen for a moment, before recovering his wits and flashing off after Tatsuki, in the direction of his comfortable lieutenant's quarters.

"Hey, Rukia!"

Rukia turned as she heard Ichigo call her name. "Hey, Ichigo. How did the training session go?"

She was surprised to see a cheeky grin. "It was actually fun. We scared them into shape."

"Gods, you AND Renji...they never had a chance." The grin on Ichigo's face turned into a full blown smirk.

They exited the 6th Division and continued walking down a path, passing several shinigami who acknowledged both Ichigo and Rukia, despite him having no formal rank. Ichigo was becoming nervous, and seemed to be building up to something. Rukia hoped it was what she thought it was.

"So, Rukia...ano..." Ichigo mentally kicked himself. He read Shakespeare for Christ's sake, he could be more eloquent than this!

Rukia smiled slightly. "Yes, Ichigo?"

He paused for several seconds. "You get leave from duty and stuff, right?"

She nodded.

"Would you be able to come to the living world next week? There's a bit of a party at one of Mizuiro's girlfriends places."

Rukia shook her head. "I can't just get leave to go to the real world." Ichigo sagged at this. "But there's a party at the 8th Division two nights from now. All the high ranking officers are invited. I'm sure you would be allowed to come." Rukia's smile widened. "So do you want to come to the party with me?"

Ichigo gave her a rare, true smile before dropping back into his usual scowl. It was lighter than usual. "Sure. I'd like that."

The sun had set by the time Ichigo returned to the 6th Squad, where he shared a room with Renji when he visited. He had wanted to occupy Rukia's closet, as payback for the time she spent hiding in his own closet. Byakuya, perhaps anticipating Ichigo's intentions to stay with Rukia, ordered his fuku-taicho to make his own room available to share, where he could personally keep an eye on him. Things weren't turning out so well so far though, as Ichigo was pretty sure he could feel Tatsuki's reiatsu still in the room with Renji. He was stamping his feet against the cold when Tatsuki finally exited Renji's room. She looked at Ichigo with an embarrassed smile, and Ichigo saw that she was still fumbling with the obi of her shinigami robes.

"You guys had better not of left any stains around the room..."

Tatsuki grinned, still blushing. "Like I said Ichigo, you're starting to sound like your father."

Ichigo shuddered again, and decided to forgo further verbal sparring. He slipped into his room and collapsed onto his bed.

"Uh, sorry about that...." Renji spoke up from his own bed.

Ichigo chuckled, not believing that he was having this conversation with Renji. "Hey, it's your room."

There was silence for several minutes. Then Renji spoke up again. "So, what did you and Rukia get up to in our absence? Quick trip back to her lieutenant's quarters?"

Ichigo swore at Renji in response.

"So? What did you get up to?"

Ichigo mumbled something.

"What was that?"

"I said I asked if she could get some leave to come to a party with my friends in the real world."

"Good to see you finally had the balls to do something! What'd she say?" Renji was glad his childhood friend and sometime-rival were finally taking some steps. Anyone could see that they had feelings for each other.

"She said she wasn't allowed leave for things like that, especially not to the real world. Then she asked if I wanted to go to the party the 8th Squad is having in a few nights."

Renji chuckled, but felt he should warn his friend. "Just so you know, Kyouraku-taicho likes to get all the women at his parties drunk, and I don't think Rukia has been to one of his parties before, so make sure you keep an eye on her."

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her." Renji was surprised at Ichigo's reaction. He had expected a mumbled threat against anyone who tried to take advantage of her.

"But I swear I'll kill anyone who even tries anything on her..."

Renji chuckled softly. That was more like it. Then he realized that Ichigo hadn't mentioned anything about Rukia being drunk when anyone tried to approach her. No more was spoken, and the two of them drifted off to an easy sleep.

They were rudely awoken in the early hours of the morning by the alarm at the 6th Squad barracks.

_Emergency broadcast! Emergency broadcast! Garganta detected on the outskirts of Rukongai! Please report to your post! I repeat! Emergency broadcast! Emergency broadcast! _

Ichigo and Renji rose swiftly from their respective beds, grabbing Zangetsu and Zabimaru as they sprinted into the marshaling yard of the 6th Division headquarters. They found Byakuya on the raised platform in the yard, lifting his hand to accept a Hell Butterfly. It flew away after delivering its message, and Byakuya spoke.

"The Central 46 has given me a direct order to hunt down and kill the threat that has traveled to Sereitei via the Garganta." He paused, considering his words. "I do not like it that they presume to order me without consulting the Soutaicho. The two of you will proceed to the Garganta location and eliminate any _threat_ that issues from it." Byakuya stressed the word threat. "Is this clear?"

Renji saluted. "Yes taicho!"

"Yeah, Byakuya." Ichigo was somewhat more casual in his acknowledgement.

A vein twitched lightly on Byakuya's eyelid at Ichigo's casual use of his name. "Then proceed with your mission." He turned and walked away to issue further orders to his squad. Without breaking his stride, he spoke to Ichigo. "And try to come back unharmed, Kurosaki. I doubt my sister will appreciate it if you are too wounded to escort her to Kyouraku-taicho's party in two nights time."

Ichigo gulped and actually saluted this time. "Understood....Byakuya."

As the two of them turned to carry out Byakuya's orders, neither of them noticed the man who had stood nearby for their entire conversation. They didn't notice him as they left the 6th Division headquarters, they didn't notice him as they flash stepped towards Rukongai, and they didn't notice as he flashed after them. It was his job not to be noticed by men of power, and the Central 46 paid him well for it.

**There it is, the first chapter all done. If you like it, please review, if you don't, review and tell me why. **

**Sneek Peak: **

_Ichigo halted abruptly, flickering into sight at the edge of a large crater. Renji appeared several meters to his side. There was widespread destruction all around them, with smoking craters and shattered trees obscuring the landscape._

_They were on the outskirts of Rukongai, the 80__th__ District behind them, at the location that the Garganta had appeared. There was no sign of it, or whoever had opened it in the first place._

"_Smells like a couple of Hollow were fighting here." Renji sniffed the air. "Probably Espada level, going by the destruction."_

"_Like you can actually smell anything." Ichigo retorted. "Let's split up, see what we can find."_

_Renji agreed silently, before flash stepping away once more. _

_Ichigo stalked around the many craters in the area, building up his reiatsu and holding it in just beneath his skin, as a safeguard against sudden attacks. There was still danger here, and Ichigo wasn't about to get himself killed when he had a date with a certain someone in a few nights time. His suspicions proved correct, when a flurry of bala's flew out of a still smoking crater to his side. Ichigo turned, letting the sheath of bandages fall off Zangetsu as he parried the first three bala's, before batting the fourth back at his opponent. There was an oath of pain as it made contact, and Ichigo took his stance, prepared for more. _

"_God dammit, Kurosaki. You always take yourself so seriously."_

_Ichigo's brow furrowed into a scowl as he recognized the voice. "That's the second time today a friend has tried to kill me, temeh."_

_The figure in the smoke snorted. "I'm not your friend. We're just allies."_

_Ichigo shook his head, dropping out of his stance. "Whatever, Grimmjow."_


	3. Big Day Out

Ichigo halted abruptly, flickering into sight at the edge of a large crater. Renji appeared several meters to his side. There was widespread destruction all around them, with smoking craters and shattered trees obscuring the landscape.

They were on the outskirts of Rukongai, the 80th District behind them, at the location that the Garganta had appeared. There was no sign of it, or whoever had opened it in the first place.

"Smells like a couple of Hollow were fighting here." Renji sniffed the air. "Probably Arrancar's, going by the destruction."

"Like you can actually smell anything." Ichigo retorted. "Let's split up, see what we can find."

Renji agreed silently, before flash stepping away once more.

Ichigo stalked around the many craters in the area, building up his reiatsu and holding it in just beneath his skin, as a safeguard against sudden attacks. There was still danger here, and Ichigo wasn't about to get himself killed when he had a date with a certain someone in a few nights time. His suspicions proved correct, when a flurry of bala's flew out of a still smoking crater to his side. Ichigo turned, letting the sheath of bandages fall off Zangetsu as he parried the first three bala's, before batting the fourth back at his opponent. There was an oath of pain as it made contact, and Ichigo took his stance, prepared for more.

"God dammit, Kurosaki. You always take yourself so seriously."

Ichigo's brow furrowed into a scowl as he recognized the voice. "That's the second time today a friend has tried to kill me, temeh."

The figure in the smoke snorted. "I'm not your friend. We're just allies."

Ichigo shook his head, dropping out of his stance. "Whatever, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow Jeagerjacques strode out of the smoke, clapping Ichigo on the back in a comradely fashion. "Don't worry, I'm just fucking with ya. Right, Abarai?"

Renji scowled as he climbed out of a nearby crater. "And I thought I was getting better at hiding my reiatsu...."

"You got a long way to go before you can fool the sixth Espada."

"You still use that title Grimmjow?" Ichigo wanted to know.

"Why not? I fought for it."

Renji spoke up. "Speaking of fighting, what the hell are you doing here? You've torn up almost a kilometre of Sereitei."

Grimmjow held up his hands. "Hey, it wasn't my idea."

"Then whose was it?" Ichigo was starting to lose patience. If any other Shinigami overheard their conversation with an Espada, they'd have some explaining to do.

"The new sixth Espada. I haven't been able to find Aizen or any of the new Espada he's created, but I keep running into the new sixth ones for some reason. I think the arrogant bastard is sending them after me."

Renji raised an eyebrow. "Any idea why?"

"Probably still pissed off by some of the things I said to him when we parted ways." Grimmjow shrugged.

"Why the hell are you here if you were fighting with the new sixth Espada?" Ichigo snapped. They didn't have a great deal of time before more shinigami started showing up, especially if the Central 46 were ordering Captains to investigate without consulting the Captain Commander.

"He threw me through a Garganta, but I pulled him in after me. Figured I'd finish the battle here."

"So have you discovered anything new since the last time we spoke?"

"Nah, except the more powerful Adjuchas and the remaining Vasto Lorde are disappearing, either recruited by Aizen or moving from their usual territories to avoid that. I've been warning a few of them about his methods of recruiting."

Renji nodded. "Alright, you'd better head back to Hueco Mundo. I can sense a few Special Forces squads getting close."

Grimmjow turned, opening another Garganta with a casual flick of his hand. "Till next time then, Kurosaki, Abarai. Don't go pining after me in my absence." With a taunting smirk he stepped through the Garganta, curses from Ichigo and Renji on his heels.

"Is it just me, or has he changed a bit?" Renji asked conversationally.

Ichigo shrugged. "He's less hung up on people looking down on him, more focused on fighting and becoming stronger." Ichigo shuddered. "I swear he's been hanging around Kenpachi while I'm not looking."

Renji cackled before replying. "Either way, let's head back to headquarters and report the mission a success. The threat was eliminated, so lets get some bloody sleep before the sun rises."

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh as the first rays of the sun hit Renji's face at the end of his sentence. "Yeah, let's." They flash stepped away.

As they disappeared, a black clad figure stepped out from the cover of a splintered tree.

"The sixth Espada..." He mused. Then he too, flash stepped away to make his report.

Ichigo leant against the door frame as he listened to Renji finish his report, informing Byakuya of all that Grimmjow had told them. Byakuya was one of the few who Ichigo had confided in when he had talked Grimmjow into spying for him, along with Kyouraku, Ukitake, Unohana, Hitsugaya, and surprisingly, Kenpachi. The vicious warrior had bluntly informed Ichigo that he didn't care if he was Hollow or Shinigami, so long as he could fight, before demanding a rematch from Ichigo himself. Ichigo had fled after receiving Kenpachi's support.

"What'd he say?" Ichigo pounced on Renji the second he exit Byakuya's office.

Renji snorted as they walked towards the exit. "What do you expect? He told me to inform him of any changes, and said that fighting with Grimmjow was a good way to cover our tracks."

"Course, you didn't bother to correct him."

"Course not. What're you wearing to Kyouraku-taicho's party?"

Ichigo stopped suddenly. "We have to dress up?" He looked horrified.

Renji burst into uncontrollable laughter. "No, idiot, I just wanted to see your reaction."

"Jackass....you taking Tatsuki?"

"Yep. They say it's an officers only party, but Kyouraku generally lets people in by their reiatsu strength. Says it has something to do with the amount of liquor they can hold."

A smirk lit up Ichigo's face. "Guess I'll have to enter a few drinking contests then."

"Don't be getting cocky now. Reiatsu is only part of it, experience is still a huge part too." Renji clapped Ichigo on the back.

"Shut up, or I'll tell your girlfriend you're beating on her childhood friend."

"Knowing her, she'd help me." Renji guffawed. "Speaking of girlfriends, here's yours." Renji nodded towards Rukia as she exited the 6th Squad dojo. Ichigo punched him on the arm. Hard.

"Hey, Rukia." Ichigo greeted the small woman.

"Hey Ichigo. Did you find anything at the Garganta site?"

Ichigo glanced around before replying. "Yeah, we ran into Grimmjow. I'll tell you about it later."

"Hello to you too, Rukia."

"Oh, hey Renji." Rukia seemed surprised to see him. Renji mumbled something about going to see Tatsuki.

Ichigo and Rukia began walking along one of the many paths inside the 6th Division headquarters, lined with—ironically–cherry blossoms.

"So, what are you going to wear to the party?" Rukia enquired.

"Haha." Ichigo replied sourly. "Renji already tried that one on me."

"I wanted to be the one to trick you..." Rukia replied, a pout on her lips.

"Sorry to disappoint." Ichigo replied with a smirk. They continued walking along the blossom lined path.

Ichigo brushed several petals from Rukia's hair, earning a blush in response. "Do you have any duties today?"

"No, I'm free until the party."

"Well, do you, uh, do you want to go shopping around Rukongai? I don't have any money or anything, but we could still look and--"

Rukia cut him off with a smile. "I'd love to. Let me just tell Ukitake-taicho where I'm going."

Ichigo grinned, and walked a bit closer to Rukia. Things were looking up. It was going to be a good day.

"_Sachike, make your report."_

The man who had followed Ichigo and Renji the previous night stepped into the small beam of light illuminating the otherwise dark room. From his position, he could see the outlines of three figures, but not enough to identify them by. But he knew who they were. But at the same time he knew nothing. Lord Hirato. Lady Murasaki. Lord Ryosuke. The Lords, two former Kuchiki elders, the Lady....no one knew. They were the three who controlled the Central 46. The ones who would go against all who challenged their power....be they Hollow, Human, or Shinigami.

Sachike bowed before speaking. "Lords and Lady. The target, Kurosaki Ichigo, has spent most of his time running errands for the 6th and 13th Squads during his most recent visit to Sereitei. He has trained two separate groups of recruits, and participated in a mission to investigate a Garganta that appeared on the outskirts of Rukongai."

One of the figures spoke. "That does not tell us what we need to know."

"But we know that Kuchiki Byakuya did not carry out our orders, Lord Hirato."

The third figure, Lady Murasaki, spoke up. "Continue your report."

"The target trained the recruits from the 13th Division at the request of Kuchiki Rukia, the lieutenant of that Division. Target appears to be in a relationship with said Kuchiki. This has been noted as a possible weakness."

"Very good. In the future, you would do well to mark down all such attachments as weaknesses. Continue." Sachike could not tell which figure the voice had issued from. He kept his head bowed and continued.

"Encountered an acquaintance while en route to the 6th Division. The acquaintance is believed to be a deceased friend from the living world, known as Arisawa Tatsuki. Arisawa is the 6th seat of 2nd Squad, and believed to be lieutenant level in power. Although some fighting did occur between the two, Arisawa has been identified as another weakness." Sachike waited for another comment. When none was forthcoming, he continued.

"Participated in the training of another group of recruits at the 6th Division along with the 6th Division lieutenant, Abarai Renji. Abarai Renji is believed to be Captain level in power. Conversation overheard between target and Abarai indicated that Abarai fuku-taicho is in a relationship with Arisawa Tatsuki. There is a possibility of labelling Abarai as a weakness, although reports from the Hueco Mundo incursion before the Winter Battles indicate that target believes he can take care of himself."

One of the figures interrupted. "If possible, we should attempt to turn these two against each other. I have seen reports that suggest there was some romantic feeling between Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Rukia. This may be a way in."

The Lord Ryosuke disagreed. "Something so petty will not disrupt their friendship. Not when the three under discussion have experienced battle together as they have."

Lady Murasaki remained silent, and Sachike resumed his report. "During the training session, Abarai fuku-taicho and the target hospitalized several of the more unruly recruits. Ill feeling may result in good candidates for information gathering within the squad." Sachike paused before continuing. "In the early hours of the morning, a Garganta was detected on the outskirts of Rukongai. The Central 46 dispatched orders directly to Kuchiki-taicho to investigate and kill any threat that issued from it. Kuchiki-taicho chose to disobey, and related this task to Abarai fuku-taicho and the target. They travelled to the target to investigate. May I take this opportunity to remark that the target is most proficient in the use of Shunpo. I was unable to stay with him, and missed the start of his encounter with the being that exited the Garganta, although I witnessed the latter half of their conversation."

The three figures stirred. "Conversation?"

"The target appears to be in league with the being, said being was identified as the sixth Espada, Grimmjow Jeagerjacques. The Espada Grimmjow appears to be working with the target to locate the Aizen threat. Abarai fuku-taicho also appears to be working with the Espada."

Lord Ryosuke put his idea forward. "This is the perfect opportunity to remove a credible threat to our authority. The target is one of the few beings of power we do not have the capacity to order directly, and he is supported by several influential members of Sereitei. If we can bring his association with the sixth Espada to light, we can have the target executed, and all those who associate with him discredited."

"Excuse me Lord, but to do that you would have to keep quite the fact that they are using the Espada to seek out a great enemy."

Ryosuke waved his hand expansively. "That is an easy matter. Conclude your report."

Sachike complied. "At the conclusion of their conversation, the Espada Grimmjow returned to Hueco Mundo via a Garganta and the target along with Abarai fuku-taicho returned to the 6th Squad." Sachike bowed low and stepped out of the light.

"Thank you for your services, Sachike. You may leave us now." Hirato dismissed him, watching as he left the room. Once the spy was gone, Lady Murasaki turned to her fellow rulers.

"I have come up with a rather creative way to remove the threat the target presents, along with several of his close allies." Lords Hirato and Ryosuke began to listen attentively. Out of the three of them, Lady Murasaki was the most cunning.

"You are familiar with the items we have found in Aizen Sousuke's private quarters?"

They nodded, and Murasaki continued. "I propose that we expose Kurosaki Ichigo and several of his allies to the hollowfication gas we have discovered there."

Lord Ryosuke raised an objection. "We would have to do so in a manner that did not leave any suspicions on ourselves, or the Central 46 as a whole. That would mean alerting the Gotei 13 to the existence of Aizen's hidden study."

"I believe we have discovered all we can from the items discovered without involving the Gotei 13. If we suggest that the Gotei 13 send several powerful individuals to investigate the study as a 'preliminary threat assessment', we could arrange it so the target is the one selected to do so, along with his own choice of support. Once they are in the study itself, it would be a simple matter to seal them inside long enough to expose them to the hollowfication gas. By this method, there is no need to invent a way to expose the target's relations with the Espada Grimmjow, and the target and several of his allies are eliminated for being Hollow Entities." Lady Murasaki inspected her fellow rulers.

"Are we agreed?"

There was a long pause, as the two men considered her plan. They spoke as one. "We are agreed."

Ichigo collapsed on a bench outside yet another shop, as Rukia ran—yet again—headfirst into said shop. Ichigo glared sullenly at the mountain of bags he had been blackmailed into carrying around. When he had found out that Rukia had her own source of income here in Soul Society, he had adamantly refused to carry any baggage whatsoever.

Then Rukia had pouted.

Ichigo still refused.

Her lower lip started to tremble.

Ichigo turned his back.

She tugged at his sleeve.

Ichigo started to weaken.

Then Rukia had unleashed the most devastating weapon in her inventory. You would have thought she'd been taking lessons from Matsumoto.

"If you help me carry the bags, I'll model a few swimsuits for you." She had leant in closer. "Your choice..."

Ichigo had gulped and quickly agreed. He should have known better. They had been shopping for the better part of a day, and had yet to enter a single clothes shop, Ichigo was laden with heavy bags, and if by some miracle they did stumble upon a clothing shop with the sort of clothes Ichigo would like to see Rukia in, odds were he'd be far too exhausted to properly enjoy it. He should have known better.

"Excuse me, Kurosaki-san?" Ichigo looked up to see a smiling shop attendant.

"Yeah?"

"Kuchiki-san has asked you to join her in the store. You may leave your bags with me at the front counter."

"Oh, ok."

Ichigo followed the attendant into what appeared to be a small store. Ichigo stopped short when he walked through the entrance, and saw that the store extended several doors down in each direction.

"Ichigo! Hurry up!" The shout seemed to come from somewhere deeper in the clothing store. Wait, _clothing_ store?

"I believe Kuchiki-san is in the swimwear section, Kurosaki-san." The attendant continued smiling as she took the numerous bags off his hands. Her smile widened as Ichigo ran off to the swimwear section with a speed rivalling Shunpo.

"Ichigo! Where are you?" Rukia called out from inside a closed changing room.

His reply came from the other side of the partition. "Here, Rukia."

She smiled slightly before sliding the partition door open. "Well? What do you think?"

Rukia felt the beginning of an inward warmth at the expression on Ichigo's face as she stepped out of the changing room, but she kept her expression uncertain.

"What do you think, Ichigo? Any good?" She turned, showing him several different angles of the light blue bikini she was wearing.

"Uh....."

"Hmmm, I don't know....maybe I should try another?"

Ichigo nodded rapidly.

"Grab me a good one?"

He dashed off. Several minutes later he was back with three new bikinis.

"You like bikini's, don't you Ichigo?"

Ichigo appeared to have been rendered mute by the sight of Rukia in a bikini. The warm feeling increased as she examined the swimsuits Ichigo had selected. One was plain, bone coloured, the second was black with red trimmings and the third also black, but with snowflake patterns on the left side of the top and bottom.

Ichigo found his voice. "Which one do you prefer?"

Rukia discarded the bone coloured one. "I don't like that at all..." Ichigo grinned as she considered the other two. "I think....the snowflake one. But with red trim on it."

"I'll see if I can find one like that." Ichigo replied somewhat dubiously.

Rukia flashed another smile his way, reminding him just how good she looked right now. "It's ok. I'll just have one made and ask them to send it to me."

"They'll do that?" Ichigo was surprised.

"They'd better. Nii-sama owns this store."

"Why am I not surprised..." Ichigo deadpanned.

Twenty minutes later Rukia's order had been placed and they were exiting the store, Ichigo once again laden with bags. He glanced over his shoulder as they left the store completely, seeing the words 'Living World Fashion' emblazoned above the doorway.

"Huh. Didn't think Byakuya would go for something like that."

"He didn't. I suggested it to him, and it has been surprisingly successful since. And because it was my idea, Nii-sama sends me part of the profits!" Rukia smiled at him again. Ichigo returned a tentative smile of his own. They both seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

"I knew you had too much money for it to be just your allowance..." Ichigo groaned under the weight of the bags.

"Oh, stop complaining. You know you enjoyed it."

"Well, part of it at least." Ichigo remembered Rukia in the blue bikini, and imagined how she would look in the snowflake one. Rukia took one look at his expression and knew exactly what he was thinking about. She was surprised, although not unpleasantly, when Ichigo somehow managed to transfer all of the bags into one hand and throw his left arm around her shoulders. She snuggled in closer and they spent the rest of the walk back to the 6th Division in comfortable silence.

"Nii-sama keeps quarters available for me here. We'll drop them off there." Rukia instructed, indicating the bags. Once the bags were dropped off, Ichigo escorted Rukia back to the Division entrance. They stopped once there.

"I'll see you at Kyouraku-taicho's party tonight?"

Rukia nodded, before standing on her tip-toes and planting a kiss on Ichigo's cheek. His eyes widened in surprise and she pulled back quickly.

"Yeah. See you tonight Ichigo."

Ichigo watched her go, still somewhat paralysed from the kiss. He turned and began the walk back to Renji's quarters, almost whistling. He was in a good mood after the afternoon's events, and he opened Renji's door without knocking—and was greeted by the sight of Tatsuki straddling Renji, her back arched and her breasts on full display.

"ARGGH!! NOT COOL!" Ichigo fled with a yell, hearing several startled curses behind him. He scrubbed at his eyes in an attempt to remove the image he had just witnessed. That was definitely more of his childhood friend then he had ever wanted to see, and in a position he had never imagined. He leant against the wall and slumped down into a sitting position. Several minutes later Tatsuki exited the room and strode directly over to where Ichigo was cowering. She grabbed his robe and bodily lifted him up, pinning him against the wall. She spoke fast.

"You will never mention what you just saw to anyone, you will never bring that topic up with me or Renji ever again, and you never saw anything in that room just then. Are we clear?" Tatsuki was blushing furiously.

"Ye-yes. Very clear. Absolutely." Ichigo nodded profusely, praying that Tatsuki accepted his answer and did not feel the need to exercise further violence on his person.

"I don't think we are. Do I need to pummel it into you?" Tatsuki continued blushing, and Ichigo realized just how embarrassed she was. Throughout all her time in the living world, she had never made mention of a boyfriend if she ever had one, and now he had suddenly caught her in a very compromising act. Ichigo decided to try a different tactic.

"Would you rather I complimented you? Commented on how good you looked in that position?" Ichigo asked bluntly, hoping to shock her out of further violence. It seemed to work.

Tatsuki pulled back, letting Ichigo stand on his feet. "Uh...sorry about that, Ichigo." She turned, letting Ichigo step away from the wall. "But have I mentioned how much like your father you're starting to sound?"

Ichigo sagged, but didn't bother denying it. "Yes. Numerous times."

"Alright...I guess I'll see you at the party tonight." Tatsuki began to walk away, still blushing.

"Right...See you there." Ichigo walked back into his room, prepared for his confrontation with Renji. He wasn't disappointed.

"You didn't see anything, you will never mention anything you might've seen, you--" Renji was stopped mid-tirade as Ichigo cut across him.

"I know, pain of death and all that. You don't have to read me the riot act, Tatsuki already scared the shit out of me before."

"That's ok then...but seriously, knock next time will you?"

Ichigo agreed vehemently. "Don't worry, I will. I was just a bit preoccupied this time, that's all."

Renji chuckled. "Oh? What happened with Rukia?"

Ichigo told him all that had happened on his 'date' with Rukia, omitting the part about the kiss. When he finished his account, Renji chuckled again.

"I'd say you're in for a good time during or after the party tonight, if you play your cards right."

"Renji! Don't talk about her like that!"

"Alright, alright. But you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do...."

There was silence for several minutes. Then "I wonder if Tatsuki will tell Rukia about what happened."

Both men shuddered at what they imagined Rukia's reaction would be. Suddenly the party seemed a lot more foreboding.

**So? What do you think? On the right track? Review and tell me what you think. **

**And enjoy the Sneek Peek. Sometimes you'll get this, sometimes you won't...**

_There were people everywhere, and Kyouraku-taicho's party was in full swing, but Ichigo still hadn't found Rukia. He had arrived half an hour earlier along with Renji, who had quickly met up with Tatsuki. They had gone off on their own, leaving Ichigo to search on his own. He was just about to go and get a drink to help in his search, when he heard a familiar tone._

"_I told you, I'm here with someone." That was unmistakably Rukia's voice._

"_He's not here now, is he sweetie? Come on, just give us a little kiss." This tone had a drunken, wheedling quality to it._

"_I told you, I'm not interested, and if my man heard you talking like that, he would most likely decapitate you." Her man? Ichigo felt his ego swelling._

"_Don't be like that hun. I'm the 4__th__ seat of the 11__th__ Squad, I can talk to a few people, and before you know it you'll be a ranking officer." 11__th__ Squad. Typical._

_Ichigo decided he had heard enough. "There you are, Rukia." Rukia looked up gratefully as Ichigo placed an arm possessively around her shoulders. The drunken man didn't take the hint._

"_Hey, back off pal, I found her first." Apparently he didn't recognize the famous orange hair in his current state._

_Ichigo leaned forward. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Since we're at a party, I'm not going to decapitate you. Instead, I'm going to slice you open, and strangle you with your own intestines if you don't back off and stop bothering Lieutenant Kuchiki."_

_The 11__th__ Squad officer began to gape at the two of them like a goldfish. "Lieutenant Kuchiki?" He turned his gaze to Ichigo. Sweat began rolling down his brow. "And Kurosaki Ichigo?" Tales of Ichigo's fights with both Ikkaku and Kenpachi had become legend around the 11__th__ Squad. Obviously this man had heard a few of them._

"_Oh joy. Now he recognizes me." Rukia's voice had a sarcastic tone._

_Ichigo drew her in slightly closer. "Now now, Rukia. Just because he's in 11__th__ Squad doesn't mean he's mentally deficient." He sent a scowl in the other man's direction. "Although judging by the fact that he's still here, I'm beginning to think he is."_

_The 11__th__ Squad man suddenly discovered Shunpo in his haste to escape, spluttering apologies and knocking into several other people as he fled. Rukia turned to Ichigo._

"_You seemed to enjoy that far too much." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks."_

_Ichigo looked away, hoping she didn't notice his blush. "Hey, he messes with my woman, he answers to me." His scowl softened as Rukia wrapped her own arm around his waist. _

"_Let's go say hello to Kyouraku-taicho."_

_Ichigo agreed, and was startled by a voice that suddenly came directly from his right. "Yare yare, why so formal? This is a party! Enjoy yourself!"_

"_Kyouraku-san!" Ichigo was surprised. He hadn't even noticed the man walk up beside him, and when he was wearing a pink haori in a room full of black, that was quite an accomplishment. He glanced back down at Rukia. He had been focused on her. Aizen could have walked up beside him and he wouldn't have noticed._

"_By the way, Kurosaki, I saw what you did with Kuchiki's unwelcome suitor. Very nice." He winked. "Extra—what do you call it?--brownie points for tonight." _

_Ichigo and Rukia both blushed furiously. "Kyouraku-san!"_

_The flowery captain raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Not that far yet?" He downed another cup of sake. "Well, here's to hoping tonight changes that!" Ichigo and Rukia blushed even harder, although neither of them let go of the other. "Now, where is my sweet Nanao-chan? Nan-ao-chaaan? Where is my lovely, lovely Nan-ao-chaaaaaaaan?" He sauntered off in search of his fuku-taicho._


	4. The Party

There were people everywhere, and Kyouraku-taicho's party was in full swing, but Ichigo still hadn't found Rukia. He had arrived half an hour earlier along with Renji, who had quickly met up with Tatsuki. They had gone off on their own, leaving Ichigo to search for Rukia. He was just about to go and get a drink to help in his search, when he heard a familiar tone.

"I told you, I'm here with someone." That was unmistakably Rukia's voice.

"He's not here now, is he sweetie? Come on, just give us a little kiss." This tone had a drunken, wheedling quality to it.

"I told you, I'm not interested, and if my man heard you talking like that, he would most likely decapitate you." Her man? Ichigo felt his ego swelling.

"Don't be like that hun. I'm the 4th seat of the 11th Squad, I can talk to a few people, and before you know it you'll be a ranking officer." 11th Squad. Typical.

Ichigo decided he had heard enough. "There you are, Rukia." Rukia looked up gratefully as Ichigo placed an arm possessively around her shoulders. The drunken man didn't take the hint.

"Hey, back off pal, I found her first." Apparently he didn't recognize the famous orange hair in his current state.

Ichigo leaned forward. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Since we're at a party, I'm not going to decapitate you. Instead, I'm going to slice you open, and strangle you with your own intestines if you don't _back off_ and stop bothering _Lieutenant_ Kuchiki."

The 11th Squad officer began to gape at the two of them like a goldfish. "Lieutenant _Kuchiki_?" He turned his gaze to Ichigo. Sweat began rolling down his brow. "And Kurosaki Ichigo?" Tales of Ichigo's fights with both Ikkaku and Kenpachi had become legend around the 11th Squad. Obviously this man had heard a few of them.

"Oh joy. Now he recognizes me." Rukia's voice had a sarcastic tone.

Ichigo drew her in slightly closer. "Now now, Rukia. Just because he's in 11th Squad doesn't mean he's mentally deficient." He sent a scowl in the other man's direction. "Although judging by the fact that he's still here, I'm beginning to think he is."

The 11th Squad man suddenly discovered Shunpo in his haste to escape, spluttering apologies and knocking into several other people as he fled. Rukia turned to Ichigo.

"You seemed to enjoy that far too much." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks."

Ichigo looked away, hoping she didn't notice his blush. "Hey, he messes with my woman, he answers to me." His scowl softened as Rukia wrapped her own arm around his waist.

"Let's go say hello to Kyouraku-taicho."

Ichigo agreed, and was startled by a voice that suddenly came directly from his right. "Yare yare, why so formal? This is a party! Enjoy yourself!"

"Kyouraku-san!" Ichigo was surprised. He hadn't even noticed the man walk up beside him, and when he was wearing a pink haori in a room full of black robes, that was quite an accomplishment. He glanced back down at Rukia. He had been focused on her. Aizen could have walked up beside him and he wouldn't have noticed.

"By the way, Kurosaki, I saw what you did with Kuchiki's unwelcome suitor. Very nice." He winked. "Extra—what do you call it?--brownie points for tonight."

Ichigo and Rukia both blushed furiously. "Kyouraku-san!"

The flowery captain raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Not that far yet?" He downed another cup of sake. "Well, here's to hoping tonight changes that!" Ichigo and Rukia blushed even harder, although neither of them let go of the other. "Now, where is my sweet Nanao-chan? Nan-ao-chaaan? Where is my lovely, lovely Nan-ao-chaaaaaaaan?" He sauntered off in search of his fuku-taicho.

Ichigo stared off at him for a few moments. "I can never tell if he's being serious or not..."

"You get used to it after a while..." Rukia replied, still somewhat put off. Then she hit him over the head. "Come on! Let's get something to drink!"

They approached one of the large kegs set up across the room, filling a cup each.

"Where did all the sake come from?"

"Kyouraku-san and Matsumoto provided it." Rukia explained. "Although Matsumoto won't be coming, Hitsugaya-taicho found out that she used the 10th Squad's monthly budget for it...."

Ichigo shuddered. Poor woman. He took a sip of his drink. "It's...different to the stuff we have in the living world."

"That's because it's made with spirit particle ingredients. So you get energy while getting drunk!" Rukia gave him a thumbs up. The drink must be pretty potent.

"Hey Ichigo, Rukia!"

The two of them turned to the source of the voice, seeing Renji and Tatsuki with an arm wrapped around each other.

"Hey. Good to see you." Rukia replied, taking a sip of her drink. "What did you get up to this afternoon?" She didn't notice the way her three friends studiously avoided each others eyes.

"Oh, not much....what about you Rukia? I hope you made Ichigo carry everything today."

"Absolutely! I found out that Ichigo can carry as many bags as he wants if he has the right incentive. And if you ever need any heavy lifting done, just tell Ichigo."

"Hey, I didn't agre—OOF!"

Rukia drove her elbow into his gut. "Shut up baka! I'm being nice! Don't ruin it!"

"Yes ma'am...." Ichigo groaned, nursing his stomach.

_Three hours and many drinks later....._

"Hey, Matsumoto's here." Renji observed somewhat boozily. He hadn't felt the need to hold back too much, other than that he was there with Tatsuki. Being their first time, Ichigo and Tatsuki had gone easy on the drinks, while Rukia had never been a big drinker. The three of them had still managed to reach the 'all is well in the world' stage though.

"Time for us to leave then." Rukia stood up, indicating for Ichigo to follow. "I'll make sure he doesn't come back tonight."

"Uh...." Tatsuki and Renji both stared at Rukia, not sure if they had heard her correctly.

"Not-not like that! I mean I'll show him a good place to sleep!"

They continued staring. Rukia blushed and pulled Ichigo up from his seat. "I'll make sure he doesn't come back and interrupt you guys. Is that ok?" Now it was their turn to blush.

"How come you have to leave now?" Tatsuki asked, as Ichigo and Rukia began to leave.

"Once Matsumoto gets to a party, things tend to go wrong." Rukia shuddered. "At the last party, she managed to get Hitsugaya-taicho to go along and drink some of her special sake." She shuddered again, harder. "It wasn't pretty."

Tatsuki gulped as she sighted the....er, 'bouncy' fuku-taicho, standing up and pulling Renji up with her. "I think it's time for us to move our party somewhere else."

The sake must have made his tongue loose, because Renji would have usually had the sense to keep quite what he said next. "But Tatsuki, Matsumoto is so much fun. Can't we stay a little longer?"

Tatsuki's eyes hardened. "Definitely time to move the party. Come on Renji, let's go back to your rooms."

"Yes ma'am." Suddenly he didn't seem so drunk.

"Come on Ichigo, let's give them some private time." Rukia smirked as she led Ichigo away.

"Let's go Renji, give the lovebirds some time to themselves to get acquainted." Tatsuki shot back, the smirk on her face matching Rukia's.

"Why do I feel like we're little better than objects in these relationships?" Ichigo complained.

"Dildo's that can talk, that's all we are...." Obviously Renji _was _drunk.

Tatsuki began beating on him, and Ichigo chose that moment to make good his escape, pulling Rukia after him. "Come on. Tatsuki isn't pretty when she's like this." Rukia slapped on the back of the head. Hard.

"You think she's pretty?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously as they exited the 8th Division, heading down a small garden path.

"Uh, not that she's got anything on you, Rukia." Ichigo stammered quickly. He thought fast, running his mind over all the Shakespeare he had ever read. "If she is a rose, you are the moon." Ichigo mentally congratulated himself. That was pretty smooth. Seemed to work too.

"Thanks, Ichigo." Rukia smiled, a real, tender smile. Then she slapped him again. "But if I ever hear you make a comment like Renji's just then, no amount of flattery will get you out of a beating. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am..." Ichigo agreed obediently.

"Besides, you're much more to me than a dildo that can talk." She grinned mischeviously. "You can fight too."

"Rukia!" Ichigo compained in an aggrieved voice. Then he threw his arm around her, kissing her on the top of her head to let her know she was forgiven. She smiled again.

They continued walking, leaving the small garden path behind. As they crossed a bridge running over a pond, Ichigo glanced down at their moon lit reflections. Rukia seemed to fit perfectly under his arm. He glanced at her and saw that she was also watching their reflections.

"Hard to believe we're in the middle of a war...." Ichigo mused.

"Hmmm?" Rukia had been caught up in her reverie. "Well, the Central 46 has been busy telling us that we don't need to be so worried about Aizen anymore." There was a sarcastic hint to her tone.

"Let's not talk about those fools right now....I just wanna enjoy the moment."

Rukia put on her sweet and oh-so-innocent school girl voice. "My my, is Kurosaki Ichigo really just a big softie under that constant scowl? Who knew!"

Afore mentioned scowl deepened. "Ah, shut up Rukia." He pulled her closer. They walked along in silence for several more minutes.

"Ano....you've been pretty....affectionate lately, Rukia. Is there any reason why?"

Rukia stopped walking, leaning against a nearby wall before replying. "....We're in the middle of a war, Ichigo, regardless of what the people in charge say. I just realized I didn't want to leave anything unsaid if I were to die. Don't you feel the same?"

"I don't even consider the possibility." Ichigo's response surprised Rukia. She looked up into his eyes, only to let out a small gasp as he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in close, placing his lips on her own.

Any protests died in her throat, as Rukia responded with a passion. All too soon, Ichigo drew away. "I won't let you die Rukia. You'll never have to worry about leaving anything unsaid. I will always be there to protect you."

He leant in again, kissing her passionately. Rukia clung to him, not wanting to let go. But this time she was the one to pull back. Her knees buckled, and Ichigo caught her to stop her from falling.

"Are you alright?" Ichigo's tone was worried.

"Yeah...just a little tired." Rukia replied shakily. "Let's go back to my quarters. I need to rest."

"Yeah...here." Ichigo placed his arm under her shoulders, supporting her weight. They walked back the way they had come, and Rukia shrugged off Ichigo's support, pulling his arm over her shoulders again.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Sort of..."

Ichigo lifted her chin up with his finger, placing another delicate kiss on her lips. "How bout now?"

"Definately." Rukia nodded eagerly.

"Let's get back to your room then." His tone became concerned. "I still think you should rest."

Rukia nodded, letting him think she was tired. If she told him her knees were weak because of his kissing, the ego overdose would be unbearable. They made it back to the 13th Division. No way in hell were they going to sleep in the same room while less than a kilometer away from Byakuya.

A figure watched as Ichigo opened the front gate quietly, stepping aside to let Rukia in before closing the gate after her. He replaced his arm around her shoulder and guided her across the courtyard towards her room. Neither of them noticed the man with long white hair standing in one of the doorways. Rukia's captain let out a small chuckle. It was about time those two admitted their feelings to each other.

Several minutes later, Ichigo closed the door to Rukia's room behind them. He turned in time to see Rukia point at her cupboard.

"There you go. Your room for the night." Rukia stated imperiously.

"Rukia...." It was nearly a whine.

Rukia cocked her head to the side, considering. "Hmmmm...well, I'll give you five minutes to convince me."

Ichigo swiftly approached her and just about shoved his tongue down her throat. Rukia responded with equal passion, and Ichigo felt like a tongue of flames had entered his mouth when she slipped hers in. Ichigo collapsed down onto Rukia's bed, pulling her down with him. They lay there, kissing and touching lightly, running their hands over each others clothed bodies, before sleep began to claim them. Rukia rested her head on Ichigo's chest, listening to his heartbeat, as Ichigo breathed in the scent of her hair, his chin resting on her head. The last sensation they felt before falling into sleep was being in the presence of the other, and they slept all the better for it.

"Gugh! Cherry blossoms!" Ichigo bolted upright, scared witless by the nighmare he had woken from.

"Cherry blossoms?" Great, he had an audience. "You have a phobia of _cherry blossoms_?" Rukia was incredulous. She'd never realised Ichigo had a phobia like that. Then she began to think. "Wait, cherry blossoms as in Senbonzakura? Senbonzakura as in _Nii-sama_?"

"I had a dream..." Ichigo mumbled an excuse of Rukia's growing laughter as she fell back onto her pillow. "He walked in on us while we were..." At this he turned red and refused to continue. Rukia's laughter continued to grow. "Here I am, waking from a terrifying dream and all you can do is laugh. Some girlfriend you are." Ichigo complained, making sure Rukia heard the last bit.

The mention of her being his girlfriend silenced her laughter, bringing back memories of their petting session the previous night. She blushed, and Ichigo smirked, knowing what was on her mind

"Maybe we should try some more of that...?" Ichigo's smirk grew, and Rukia leant in close, grabbing his chest possessively, running her hands over his muscles and thinking just how sexy he looked with that smirk. Ichigo draped his arm around her waist and pulled her on top of him, marvelling at how lucky he was to be able to call the amazing woman in his arms his.

Renji watched Tatsuki stir slightly, then nestle her head in deeper to his neck, her hand resting on his chest. He still had a few scratches and bruises from his tactless comment the night before. At least, the bruises were the result of the comment. The scratches down his back were the result of what came once they got back to his quarters. Renji couldn't hold back a grin when he remembered how they had first met. 'Met' isn't the right word for the situation, 'confronted' is more apt. Renji had been asked by the headmaster of the Spirit Academy to demonstrate the stages of a zanpukutou release, and he had run into Tatsuki on his way to the class. Both of them had been running late.

_Renji barrelled around a corner, hoping that his captain didn't catch wind of his tardiness. He collapsed in pain as his gut came into contact with an extended fist. The owner of the fist had toppled onto him as he fell, and Renji had looked up into spiky black hair and murderous eyes._

"_You're going to make me late asshole!"_

_Renji couldn't believe that she—a student—was giving _him_ a hard time over the accident. "Do you know who I am?" He asked incredulously._

"_Yeah, you're the asshole who's making me late!" They still hadn't shifted from their position on the floor. _

"_I'm the lieutenant of the sixth division! You don't get to call me asshole, bitch!"_

_The __aggravating student moved her face closer to his own. "Do you know who _**I**_ am?"_

_Renji scowled, harder than he already was. "No." _

_He swore in pain as she belted him over the head. "Good! Now I'm going to class!"_

_She untangled herself from him, running down the hall in her haste to escape. She stopped short when the red haired lieutenant she had collided with suddenly appeared in front of her. She set herself for a reprimand and some petty punishment, not at all ready for what actually came next._

"_Meet me for dinner?" The words came out in a strangled rush._

"_What?!?" Tatsuki looked up with a yelp._

"_Din-ner." He spoke like she was a slow child. "Actually, a party thats being thrown by the 8__th__ Division Taicho. My name is Abarai Renji." He added helpfully. He had no idea why he was asking this outspoken student out. Something about her struck a chord in him._

_Tatsuki eyed him mistrustfully, sure that this was some kind of ploy to get her to reveal her name. When she saw no duplicity in his eyes, she gave in. "Arisawa Tatsuki. Come back here after class. Now I _really_ have to get to my current class, the one I'm _already_ late for." She took off around Renji, not even looking back._

_Renji watched her disappear, a bemused look on his face. He came to take a class but ended up with a date. He shook his head, strolling off towards his own class in a much better mood. It wouldn't be until Kurosaki actually met Tatsuki again that Renji would discover they were childhood friends. _

Renji broke off his reminiscing as he saw that the spiky haired woman resting at his side begin to wake up. He was looking into her eyes as she shook the effects of sleep off, and greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning."

Tatsuki arched her back, stretching. "Good morning to you too. What's got you in such a good mood?" She knew Renji was not a morning person.

He raised an eyebrow in response. "You don't recall all the interesting new positions we tried? I'm going to have to get you to drink a little more often I think." Renji found himself wincing in pain as she slapped his chest, leaving a bright red hand print.

"You mention that to anyone...." Tatsuki didn't bothering finishing her sentence, knowing that her partner got the idea.

"How do you think Ichigo and Rukia ended up?"

Tatsuki mulled it over before replying. "I think they ended up admitting a few things."

Renji raised a tattooed eyebrow. "Really? I still think they're both too stubborn to admit anything to each other."

"You'd be surprised....I reckon they're both waking up together now."

Back at the 13th Division, the two shinigami in question sneezed violently.

"Bless you." They said simultaneously.

"Want to go find out if you're right?" Renji questioned.

Tatsuki grinned sexily, sending shivers down Renji's spine. "Nah, I think I'd rather stay here and find out if you have any tattoos I'm not aware of."

Renji replied with a grin of his own, rolling Tatsuki over and inadvertantly falling off his bed, bringing her down with him and earning a shriek of surprise before he covered her mouth with his lips. Tatsuki glanced at a clock on one of Renji's walls. Eight o'clock. She had two hours before she had to report to Soi Fon-taicho.

At fifteen minutes past ten, Tatsuki flickered into sight in front of Soi Fon-taicho's office. She had used Shunpo all the way from the sixth division, not even stopping once she was inside the 2nd Squad headquarters. She knocked nervously on the door, hoping the captain wasn't disappointed in her.

"You're late! Come in." A voice answered sharply from the other side of the door. Tatsuki set herself and opened the door.

"I apologise for my lateness, Soi Fon-taicho..."

Soi Fon looked up quickly. "Hmmm. I was expecting my lieutenant, not you."

"You ordered that I report to your office at 10 this morning, taicho." Tatsuki was confused. She had been expecting a reprimand.

"Yes, but I wasn't expecting you for another 45 minutes."

"Taicho?" Now Tatsuki was really confused.

"You, Arisawa, were with Lieutenant Abarai, and therefore have a semi-legitimate excuse. My lazy, good for nothing lieutenant, however, should only be battling a hangover, not an amorous lover." Soi Fon finished in a stern voice.

Tatsuki blushed, amazed that her captain knew that much about her. She was only a lowly sixth seat, after all. "Do you have any orders for me, taicho?" Tatsuki had come to respect her taicho greatly, and was almost desperate to gain her approval.

Soi Fon considered for a moment. "Yes. I would like you to accompany me for the day. My good for nothing lieutenant is well aware that your power rivals, and outstrips his own in some areas, so you acting as my direct adjuntant for the day should force him to realize he doesn't hold his position for life."

"Thank you taicho!" Tatsuki was grateful for the chance to prove herself in her superiors eyes, and flattered that she considered her equal to a lieutenant in power. Soi Fon rose from her desk.

"Come then. The soutaicho has asked that I review the defenses in the area of the recent Arrancar incursion. The twelth division has informed him that it is the most likely spot for a new Garganta to appear, if any more hostile incursions are made."

Tatsuki nodded and opened the door for her taicho, quickly closing it as she walked through behind her. They both disappeared in a flash, Tatsuki following a second behind Soi Fon.

They appeared some time later on the site of the Garganta appearance. Soi Fon surveyed the area calmly, as Tatsuki couldn't help but gape slightly. She had been told this was where Ichigo and Renji fought the Arrancar. The devestation was immense for such a small skirmish. She heard Soi Fon muttering under her breath.

"That Kurosaki....and Abarai as well! Both as reckless as each other...Abarai fuku-taicho should know better..."

Tatsuki smiled slightly at this. He might be reckless for a lietuenant, but he was her reckless lieutenant. Soi Fon turned to Tatsuki.

"Your mastery of Shunpo is impressive. Have you been focusing on it in your studies?" Soi Fon referred to her training with Yoruichi.

"Yes taicho. Shunpo is currently my highest level skill."

"Very good. Keep it up and you may someday surpass me." It wasn't usual of Soi Fon to be so self effacing, and Tatsuki felt herself beaming from the compliment.

The smile was wiped from her face when she saw a Garganta form, low and close to the ground. Soi Fon turned to face it quickly. She wasted no time with her orders.

"Arisawa, contact help using *******."

Tatsuki nodded an affirmative as her captiain flash stepped to meet whatever would issue from the Garganta, and began drawing intricate designs on the ground in front of her, as well as her arms and hands.

"Net of black and white. Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six vestments. Footprints, distant thunder, mountain peaks, spinning ground, night crouching. Cloudy sea. Blue ranks. Fill the great circle and dash across the heavens! Way of Binding No. 77: Tentai Kuura!"

Tatsuki took a breath, the people she wanted to warn springing to mind, and she felt as a tendril of the kido attaching to each of them. The soutaicho, Kuchiki Byakuya, Ichigo.

"Acquisition...successful." She knew that Byakuya would tell Renji, and Ichigo would relay her information to Rukia, although he would attempt to stop her from responding. She almost grinned at the likely outcome of that confrontation, before remembering the task at hand.

"Yamamoto-soutaicho, Kuchiki-taicho, Substitute Kurosaki. This is 2nd Squad's sixth officer, Arisawa Tatsuki. A Garganta has appeared at the location of Substitute Kurosaki and Lieutenant Abarai's recent confrontation with an Arrancar. Soi Fon-taicho has engaged the enemies issuing from it, but requests assistance. Opponents appear to be Arrancar, currently numbering five. Please make all possible haste to our location." Tatsuki saw her taicho take a vicious hit from behind, and being sent crashing into the ground. She swore, not caring that her words were still being relayed by the kido.

"Subdue the enemy, Kagemusha!" She released her zanpukutou and cut off the kido, already feeling Ichigo, Rukia and Renji on their way. She felt safer, knowing that Renji was coming, and let out a fierce battle cry as she flash stepped next to her taicho, hurling a mass of blades and forcing the Arrancar to scatter in the resulting explosion. Soi Fon looked at her, examining Kagemusha.

"Interesting form..." She glanced at the after effects of her attack. "And interesting offensive ability."

Tatsuki grinned, happy to be fighting with her captain.. "Shall we?"

Soi Fon nodded, and with another flicker they launched themselves into battle.

**The last bit was a little RenjTats centric, I know, but I wanted to show their side and reveal a bit more of their relationship. Hope you enjoyed it, and as always, appreciate any reviews. **


	5. Battles and Politics

Duck, weave, parry, counter, slash, riposte. Rukia was caught up in the dance of the battle, and had no time to focus on anything other than her opponents. There were now ten Arrancar that had made it through the Garganta still living, and they were battling fiercely with Rukia, Renji, Tatsuki and Soi Fon. The four of them had each released their Shikai, and were working together to bring their multiple opponents down.

"Tsugi no mae; Hakuren!"

Rukia unleashed an avalanche of ice, watching in satisfaction as Soi Fon pounced on the two partially frozen enemies, inflicting double blows on them with her zanpukutou, Suzeme Bachi. Rukia risked a glance upwards, where Ichigo was dueling the new 7th Espada in his shikai, and towards the Garganta, where Senbonzakura Kageyoshi was pulsing and devouring all those who exited.

Rukia had arrived along with Ichigo in time to see another ten Arrancar, led by the Espada 7, to exit the Garganta and look hungrily at Tatsuki and Soi Fon defending furiously in one of the many craters on the ground. Ichigo had unleashed an instinctive Getsuga Tenshou, eliminating an Arrancar that was too preoccupied by the Shinigami already fighting, and lunged at the strongest of the new arrivals. The man had parried quickly, smiled sadistically, and pulled back the sleeve on his sword arm, revealing the number 7. With all the attention on Ichigo, Rukia had taken the chance to dart in and remove the head of an Arrancar that was casually charging a bala. The fighting hadn't let up since. She had been dimly aware that her Nii-sama had arrived when a torrent of angry petals had descended upon the Garganta, consuming another wave of Arrancar, and grateful when Renji had joined her with Tatsuki and Soi Fon to deal with the Numeros.

"Some no mae; Tsukishiro!"

A moon's circle of ice formed beneath Rukia's feet, extending about 100 yards, and also immobilizing the enemies also standing on the ground. Soi Fon was on them in an instant, using her Zanpukutou's ability to good advantage, casually eliminating three more foes, leaving only five to deal with.

"Howl, Zabimaru!"

Renji's zanpukutou snaked around the remaining enemies rather than striking them, and then constricted them, squeezing them into a small group. Tatsuki flash stepped and appeared above the group, hurling a mass of blades at the frantic Hollow, detonating them when the blades reached their target. There were several tortured screams that were cut off suddenly, and Renji pulled Zabimaru back into its sword form, unscathed.

_'Maybe it's because they're so close, their zanpukutou don't want to harm each other'_ Rukia considered as she surveyed the suddenly empty battle ground.

Soi Fon approached Tatsuki, a speculative look in her eyes. "You're zanpukutou's ability is unusual. Is it not required for you to know the name for the attack?"

Tatsuki shrugged before replying. "Kagemusha told me our purpose is to subdue the enemy, not announce our intentions to them."

Soi Fon nodded. "That is practical. You have done the 2nd Squad proud today."

Tatsuki blushed lightly, pleased at the praise. The four of them were content to watch Byakuya casually dispatch any reinforcements from the Garganta and Ichigo duel the Espada, still in his shikai, knowing that they would only get in the two men's way.

Ichigo blinked the sweat from his eyes. He had grown in power in the last two years. He could now hold his own against the current ranked 7th Espada while in shikai, which was a far cry from needing his Bankai to deal with demoted Espada.

"Going to tell me your name?" Ichigo inquired, watching the pale, light haired Espada. He looked little more than a teen.

"I won't waste my breath on one such as you."

Ichigo snorted. "I've beat everyone who's ever told me that."

The Septimo Espada continued as if he hadn't heard. "The 7th Espada has always been the fastest. What will you do if your blade cannot reach me, and your eyes cannot see me?" He began to flash step rapidly around Ichigo, leaving after images where he had appeared.

_'God dammit. What do I have to do to get a good reputation among the enemy?'_ Ichigo knew he was letting his ego talk, but he didn't care. He let the handle of Zangetsu slide down his hand until he was holding it by its bandage like sheath.

"Good, you've recognized that you cannot keep up with one such as I. Are you prepared for your end?"

Ichigo would have laughed if he hadn't been concentrating so hard. He hadn't actually tried this next bit for himself yet. Slowly at first, but gradually picking up speed, Ichigo began to spin Zangetsu around his head by its bandage sheath, causing the very air to vibrate and making his teeth rattle. He couldn't imagine what his foe was feeling. Suddenly he launched his blade to where he predicted the nameless Espada would appear next. His foe appeared almost surprised when Zangetsu impaled him, splitting his head down the centre. This time, Ichigo didn't bother holding back a smirk.

_**It's about time you tried that move, King.**_

Ichigo's smirk disappeared, and he held back a slight grimace. Hichigo still made his voice heard from time to time, even if Ichigo was the unassailable King. It had been a while since his last 'visit' so Ichigo had figured he would be back soon anyway. The orange haired man watched as the Garganta collapsed in on itself, and Byakuya's bankai dissolved. They made their way over to their four friends.

"How come we're not seeing any reinforcements?" Renji wanted to know. Byakuya regarded him impassively before replying.

"I presume the soutaicho would like to tell Sereitei that two Captains, two Vice-Captains, a sixth seat and an unranked shinigami defeated upwards of thirty Arrancar and an Espada during their most recent incursion." Renji blinked at the convoluted reply. "But that is only what I presume."

"Kuchiki-taicho. We should submit our reports to Yamamoto-dono." Soi Fon addressed Byakuya directly, turning away from the battlefield with Tatsuki following beside her.

Byakuya nodded once, then turned to Renji. "Come, Renji." Then he spoke to Rukia. "I suggest you visit the 4th Squad to tend to any visible wounds that you have sustained."

Ichigo blinked. _Visible wounds? What the hell? Why only them?_

Byakuya closed his eyes as if in irritation. "And you may invite the kozo as well."

Rukia's face lit up, and she bowed. "Thank you Nii-sama!"

"But only on the terms we discussed." Byakuya finished, as he turned and flash stepped away along with his fellow Captain and two Vice-Captains, leaving Ichigo and Rukia standing on the edge of a crater.

"Uh...what the hell was he talking about, Rukia?"

"No time! We've got to get to the 4th Squad! We can't have cuts and bruises all over us for the party!"

"Party? What par—GAH!" Ichigo let out a surprised yell as Rukia grabbed him by the ear and proceeded to flash step towards the 4th Squad headquarters.

Ichigo felt like his ear was about to be pulled off by a certain sadistic midget, so halfway there be used a burst of Shunpo to regain his footing, scooping Rukia up in his arms as he did so. Rather than gasp in surprise, she just looked up with a smile.

"Knew you were a softie."

Ichigo growled. "Shut up midget. I'm only doing this cause your short legs take too long to get anywhere."

Rukia slapped Ichigo on the side of the head, before nestling into his chest comfortably. That was so like Ichigo, to do something nice and then ruin it by insulting her height. They made it to the 4th Squad without further incident, and were greeted by Kotetsu Isane.

"Ohayou--" She began, before stopping herself. "Wait, its afternoon now. What can I do for you?" Then the 4th Squad fuku-taicho noticed Rukia in Ichigo's arms. "Is Kuchiki fuku-taicho injured? Quickly, bring her to a healing station."

"It's alright Isane, I only sustained a few light injuries." Rukia hopped out of Ichigo's arms, landing lightly on the ground. Isane smiled at how Ichigo had been carrying her without any real reason.

"Were there any serious injuries sustained?" Isane inquired.

"No, but Soi Fon-taicho will probably come by lately to have her injuries healed."

When Isane appeared confused, Rukia continued. "For the nobles gathering tonight. We cannot attend while sporting numerous injuries."

"Ah...in that case, let me fix you up right away. I'm finished with paperwork for the day."

Both the fuku-taicho's shuddered slightly. Paperwork was the bane of their existence. They entered the healing station, Rukia sitting on what appeared to be the patients bench.

"Why did Byakuya say you could invite me if it's a nobles party? And what were the terms you discussed?" Ichigo was suspicious.

"It's more of a gathering than a party. Deals will be made, political maneuvers will be attempted, and a lot of spiteful conversation will occur in between. It's the lifeblood of the nobility." Rukia stated mater of factly. "You'll be coming as my bodyguard."

"Bodyguard?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean you're in danger of being attacked there?"

Rukia shook her head. "No, its more in the nature of showing off. For the nobility, having a powerful shinigami as your bodyguard is the same as owning an expensive property. It shows off our power and influence."

"So I'm an expensive toy?" Ichigo watched as Isane held her hands over several nasty bruises on Rukia's arms, a healing kido glowing between her fingers.

"Somewhat. But it's doubtful that any of the nobles at the gathering will recognize you on sight, so if anyone decides to challenge me for whatever reason, you'll get the opportunity to pound a few heads."

Ichigo's eyes lit up in anticipation, and both the women laughed. "So who was your bodyguard before me?"

Rukia shook her head. "This will be the first time I've attended one of these on my own. Usually I attend with Nii-sama as his adjutant, and he scares off any potential suitors."

"Suitors?" Ichigo's scowl deepened. He knew what he'd do to anyone that tried to pull Rukia off to a dark corner of the party.

Rukia saw his expression and laughed. "Don't worry, it's nothing like the living world. Everything is done formally, so a suitor will talk to me, then to their father or elder, and if the elder approves, they will talk to Nii-sama."

"Has that happened often?" Ichigo didn't like the idea of anyone trying to court _his _Rukia.

"No, Nii-sama usually intimidates anyone who might be a potential suitor when they talk to me. That'll be your job tonight."

Ichigo's good mood was restored when he was given the go ahead to scare shitless any suitor who approached her. He watched as Isane finished healing Rukia, and then turn to him.

"Your turn now, Kurosaki-san."

"But I'm not injured." Ichigo protested.

"Ichigo, you know how human scientists say a creatures ability to feel pain is limited by their brain capacity?"

Ichigo nodded.

"I think you've just proven them right." When Ichigo just frowned in confusion, Rukia calmly pointed to his left arm. He glanced at it, and was surprised to see a nasty looking gash running along the inside of it. He didn't even remember being cut.

"Ah. Right." Without further protest, Ichigo took Rukia's previous position on the bench and waited patiently as Isane healed him. It didn't feel as good as when Rukia did it. When the silver haired woman finished healing him, Ichigo thanked the 4th Squad lieutenant and proceeded out of the healing room, arm around Rukia's shoulders. He missed the sly wink that passed from Isane to Rukia.

Ichigo felt himself truly relaxing after the earlier battle, and ruffled Rukia's hair. Surprisingly, she didn't protest.

"So how come you're going seperate from Byakuya this time?"

Rukia looked up at Ichigo. "Before, I was only the heir, his sister. Etiquette dictated that I attend with Nii-sama. But now, I'm fuku-taicho of the 13th Squad as well as heir apparent to the Kuchiki House. So I've rank enough to attend on my own."

"You're pleased by that?"

"Very." Her eyes shined slyly. "It will be good to rub it in the face of several other heirs who are already attending as their own group. That and the fact that my shinigami is stronger than theirs."

Ichigo leant down and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "I like it that you call me your shinigami."

Rukia smirked. "Of course you do." She looked around, trying to remember where they were. "I need to go to the Kuchiki mansion to prepare for tonight."

"It's still early afternoon! I know you need time to get ready, but the party isn't till tonight."

_Later tonight...oh shit!_

"Dammit Rukia, its a Sunday! I've got school to worry about tomorrow!"

"Calm down Strawberry! Long weekend, remember?"

Ichigo stopped panicking when he realised she was right. "Right. Sorry about that..."

Rukia shook her head. "Silly baka. Go to the 13th Division and get yourself cleaned up or something. Get the tears and rips on your shinigami robes repaired. Just make sure you're presentable and at the gates of the Kuchiki mansion by five!"

Ichigo sprang to attention and made a hasty salute. "Yes ma'am, right away ma'am, you can count on me ma'am!"

Rukia shook her head as Ichigo smirked and flash stepped away. _He's so juvenile sometimes...but I wouldn't have him any other way._

Ichigo came to a stop outside the 13th Division headquarters. First things first. He needed someone who could tell him where the bathhouses were, and could also help him repair the many hastily sewn-up gashes in his robes. He saw a bob of brown hair and grinned.

"Hey, Kiyone!"

Isane's sister, the third seat of 13th Squad smiled when she saw who was calling her. "Hey Kurosaki! You better be treating Rukia-san well!" She congratulated herself when she saw Ichigo blush. "What can I do for you?"

"Uh, I was wondering if you could show me where the bathhouses were around here, as well as help me fix my robes...I'm supposed to be guarding Rukia at a nobles party tonight, and I've got to meet her at five outside the Kuchiki mansion."

Kiyone grinned at her chance to help both Rukia and Ichigo, and get one up on that annoying Sentarou. The taicho would be so pleased with her for helping them!

"Of course! Come on already!"

Ichigo was promptly dragged through several buildings by the excitable Kiyone, before being thrown through the door of what appeared to be the bathhouse.

"Throw me your robe and I'll get started on it while you're in there!" Kiyone shouted from the other side of the door.

"What do I wear once I'm done??" Ichigo didn't fancy the idea of hiding in the bathhouse before Kiyone remembered she had his robe.

"There's spare clothes in there! Wear one of them!"

Ichigo threw his shinigami robes to Kiyone, and listened as she pounded off. He eyes the large pool that served as a bathtub. He _was _pretty sweaty after the fight earlier....

"Wake up Kurosaki!"

Ichigo opened his eyes slowly. He let out a loud scream when he saw Kiyone's face right in front of his own.

"What the hell woman! This is the guys bathhouse!!"

Kiyone giggled at his reaction. "Actually, the bathhouses here are shared."

Ichigo calmed down slightly, but he wasn't budging until the crazy woman gave him some privacy.

"I fixed your robe, and its hanging up over there." She indicated it with her thumb. "And did I mention you've only got half an hour until you're supposed to meet up with Rukia-san?"

Ichigo gave a yelp and leapt out of the pool with a speed rivaling Yoruichi's shunpo. He still wasn't fast enough to avoid getting a good look from Kiyone, and she was smirking slyly as she turned around to find Ichigo already dressed.

"Half an hour is plenty of time to get from here to the Kuchiki mansion. You'll be fine." Kiyone reassured Ichigo, before attacking him with a dry towel.

"Gah! What the hell are you doing to me?"

"I'm drying your hair, so stay still and shut up!"

Ichigo stood still and shut up, his ear drums still ringing from her loud voice. Kiyone continued her ministrations until she was satisfied.

"There's one more thing..." She rummaged around in the pockets of her robe. "Here! Ukitake-san told me you couldn't control your reiatsu very well, so he gave me this for you to wear!" She thrust something at him. Ichigo examined it. It was a small black ring.

"What does it do?"

"It sucks up the reiatsu you unconsciously leak out. Ukitake-san told me that its bad manners to let your reiatsu leak at noble parties!"

Ichigo slipped the ring on his right forefinger, feeling the ring suck at his reiatsu. It didn't take enough so that he would be effected in a fight, but enough so he wouldn't smother anyone if he were to stand near them.

"There you go. Now go protect your girlfriend!"

Ichigo would have stayed to argue the point, but he wasn't at all keen on facing Rukia's wrath if he was late. He shouted a quick thanks before flash stepping towards the Kuchiki mansion, glad that he knew where it was. At exactly five o'clock, Ichigo came to a halt outside the gates of the Kuchiki mansion, just in time to see them open and two seperate carriages exit them. Ichigo waited patiently as the smaller of the carriages was pulled by two servants in his directions, arms clasped behind his back as if he had been waiting obediently for the past ten minutes.

"Ichigo." Rukia's voice came from within the white, one person carriage.

"Yeah, Rukia?"

"Follow to the side of the carriage, and try to look vigilant. When we get to the party, you'll help me out of this infernal contraption and follow behind me."

Ichigo bowed low. "Hai, Rukia-sama."

Rukia's now angry voice issued from the carriage. "Don't you dare start with me Ichigo, or I'll make you call me that for the rest of the evening, as well as call Nii-sama Kuchiki-taicho."

Ichigo shut up and obediently followed by the side of the carriage. Within half an hour the light started to fade, and their way was lit by thousands of small coloured lanterns. Soon they were at the entrance of yet another mansion, and it seemed like they were fashionably late, along with several other carriages bearing nobles from a range of houses. When one of them let Byakuya's carriage pass before trying to cut in on Rukia's, Ichigo scowled heavily at the servants pulling it, and they stepped back to let them pass. Inside the carriage, Rukia grinned. She had seen the exchange, and it seemed like Ichigo was going to fulfill his instructions to the letter. She almost wished a suitor would come and annoy her now.

Rukia's servants deposited her carriage in front of the main gates and waited patiently while Ichigo held out his arm for Rukia. The small shinigami took it demurely and allowed Ichigo to lead her through the gates. Rukia wore a variation of her traditional shinigami robes, except there was a snowflake design on her robes and her obi was red. Ichigo followed as Rukia introduced herself to a servant flanked by two shinigami who held the guest list. They were waved through, and proceeded along a covered walkway to the main gathering area.

When they reached the entrance to what appeared to be the central courtyard, Ichigo couldn't help but stop and stare. There were richly dressed people everywhere, each with expressions that clearly stated they were only putting up with the others on sufferance, and that they were lucky to be talking to one as exalted as themselves in the first place. Ichigo thought they all looked like a bunch of peacocks.

"Welcome to the world of nobles." Rukia murmured quietly, not missing the look of amused contempt on Ichigo's face.

Ichigo bowed slightly. "Shall we?"

Rukia drifted around the party, interacting with small groups of people around her age, Ichigo staying at her side at all times. For the most part, the young nobles were airheads, but occasionally, they would come across someone who went out of their way to be malicious or spiteful.

"So, Kuchiki-san, I hear you were finally made fuku-taicho."

Ichigo sent a sharp glare at the speaker, a young noblewoman who appeared to be the same age as Rukia. She had dark brown hair, with slightly tan skin, and was clad in an elaborate dress kimono. There was a pug nosed shinigami with blonde hair by her side.

"Yes, Shihouin-san. I was very pleased to receive my appointment." Rukia held her poise, slipping on her blank, mask-like expression.

The Shihouin clan member's expression grew sly. "So, even with Kuchiki influence it is difficult to have yourself advanced within the Gotei 13."

Rukia stiffened at the implication that money had gotten her position. She couldn't very well tell the Shihouin brat talking to her that her brother had arranged it so she _wouldn't_ receive promotions. She was becoming irritated.

Ichigo was also becoming irritated by the brat and her shinigami guard. The man was attempting to smother Ichigo with his reiatsu, and it was like having an invisible fly buzzing around your face. Rukia also noticed this.

"Shihouin-san, if you can't keep your guard from irritating mine, I suggest you start looking for a new one."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard very well what I said. Tell your guard to restrain from flexing his reiatsu like an overgrown monkey."

"Go-san is no monkey! If your own body guard is too weak to withstand the reiatsu that he unconsciously leaks out, it just means he's too weak." The Shihouin brat smirked, thinking she had gotten one over a Kuchiki.

"I see." Rukia looked at Go thoughtfully. Then she looked at the black ring on Ichigo's finger. "Ichigo?"

"Yeah, Rukia?"

The Shihouin gasped at their lack of formality, but was ignored, Rukia continuing with her question. "Could you take your ring off? Just for a moment. Focus on Go-san."

Ichigo didn't question how Rukia knew about the ring, but proceeded to slip it off, focusing his new excess on the unfortunate shinigami at the Shihouin's side. "Sure. Is this good?"

Rukia watched with a small smile as Go was forced to his knees under Ichigo's spirit pressure. A few of the other shinigami and nobles in their current group were looking distinctly uncomfortable as well, despite being on the edges of Ichigo's focus. Only Rukia was unaffected.

"Put it back on now please, Ichigo."

Ichigo slipped the small black ring on, noticing this time that there appeared to be several mouths on the inside band, much like the ones on Kenpachi's eye patch.

_This would be useful for when I'm in the living world...I'll ask if I can keep it._ Ichigo considered as he watched the arrogant Go return to his feet.

"I trust you'll keep your guard in line from now on." Rukia was telling the Shihouin in a cold tone of voice. Ichigo didn't miss the grins of several other guards as Rukia swept away regally, as he followed at her side once more.

"Come on. I need to greet Nii-sama." Rukia ordered in her normal tone of voice.

Ichigo grinned. "Good to see you back to your normal self."

"People like that are the main reason I hate these things." Rukia replied in a tired tone of voice.

"I can see why....correct me if I'm wrong, but were you showing me off back there?" Ichigo slipped her a wink.

"Of course I was. I've got the strongest guard here, so I'm going to show you off as much as I please."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Got?"

"Please. You belong to me and you know it." Rukia gave him a wink of her own.

Ichigo hid a broad grin with his hand as Rukia approached Byakuya. She greeted him cordially, and Ichigo nodded to Renji who was at his side. Soi Fon was also nearby, representing her family, who were important vassals of the Shihouin clan. Ichigo gave a small wave to Tatsuki who was attending to her captain, before turning his attention back to Rukia's conversation with her brother.

"Rukia, there is someone I would like you to meet." Byakuya's tone was emotionless as always, but Ichigo could've sworn he was annoyed by something. "Rukia, this is Lord Hirato, a former Kuchiki elder. He now presides as a judge in the Central 46."

Ichigo started paying sharp attention. This was one of the men responsible for Sereitei's lack of vigilance regarding Aizen. One of the men who treated the Gotei 13 like their own personal servants. One of the men who had tried to exile him. He was an older man, with dark hair that was graying at the temples. He had a crooked nose and a small mouth that looked out of place on a strong jaw. He had piercing eyes.

"Hello, Hirato-sama. It is an honour to meet you." Rukia replied politely, observing the formalities.

Hirato's eyes roved over her, a possessive look to them. "It is good to meet the latest Kuchiki to climb the ranks of the Gotei 13."

Rukia bowed in reply. "You do me honour, Hirato-sama."

"I am pleased that a member of my clan has achieved such success." Hirato continued, seemingly not aware that he had managed to raise the hackles of the two men listening to his conversation with Rukia. Byakuya was irritated by the way Hirato had referred to the House of Kuchiki as _his_ clan, while Ichigo was seething over the way Hirato seemed to presume ownership of Rukia.

Rukia bowed again, making no reply. Hirato's eyes moved to Ichigo, and he felt himself being read by them. Ichigo looked him straight in the eye and refused to back down.

"And who might your loud-haired body guard be?" Hirato seemed to sneer the words.

"This is Kurosaki Ichigo, the Substitute Shinigami. Surely you know of him."

"Ah yes, the Ryoka turned war hero. I hear you were forced to visit the infirmary after a fight with a Hollow earlier today. You weren't injured too grievously I trust?" Hirato questioned Ichigo, despite the fact that he was standing there alive and well.

"It was an Espada, and I sustained no injuries worth commenting upon." Ichigo replied curtly. "And I am a Substitute Shinigami now, not a Ryoka. I was Ryoka before I helped reveal the man who massacred the previous Central 46."

Byakuya made no comment on Ichigo's rude reply, even somewhat pleased that Ichigo had brought up the fate of the previous Central 46. Rukia just stood there, but Ichigo could almost feel the smirk threatening to overwhelm her face.

"I see. It was a...pleasure...meeting your body guard, Kuchiki-san. I bid you good night." Hirato beckoned to his own body guard. "Come, Sachike."

Renji gave Ichigo a discreet clap on the back. "Nice way to set him straight, strawberry."

"Yeah, good one Ichigo. Nice to see you've still got it." Tatsuki commented dryly.

Soi Fon and Tatsuki had drifted over from their own group in time to catch the end of the conversation. Byakuya approached Soi Fon, drawing Rukia with him.

"That man is one of the three in the Central 46 that we discussed earlier."

Ichigo and Tatsuki looked confused at Byakuya's words, while their companions looked grim.

"What three?" Ichigo questioned Rukia. She looked around, making sure there were none within hearing distance outside of their group before replying.

"One of the three controlling the Central 46."

**So, how am I going so far? Should I keep it up? Sorry for the abrupt ending, but thats as much as I want to put in this chapter, and the next scene planned is no good as a chapter clincher. So this is what you get. Hope you enjoyed it. **

**Reviews mean love, and love means more chapters faster!**


	6. Council of War

Kurosaki Ichigo, Shinigami Substitute, elite Death God and hero of the Winter War, was bored. After a weekend of fierce battles and fun parties, he was back in the living world and back in class. He eyed the still empty seat beside him, the one he thought Rukia should be sitting in. Ichigo drowned out the teachers monotonous dialogue, thinking back to the nobles gathering. After being informed that the Central 46 were under the influence and control of three nobles, there had only been one more encounter worth mentioning.

XX _Remembering _XX

"What three?" Ichigo questioned Rukia. She looked around, making sure there were none within hearing distance outside of their group before replying.

"One of the three controlling the Central 46."

Ichigo paused, taking a moment to register the new information. Then he put what he thought was the best plan on the table. "So, should I knock him on the head?"

Rukia rolled her eyes and Renji snorted, while Tatsuki shook her head in the background.

Soi Fon spoke directly to Byakuya. "There is one more thing. I was approached by Hitsugaya-taicho. He asked me to look into a number of disappearances amongst the new Spirit Academy recruits. It appears that the Central 46 has been taking an interest in a high number of promising Academy students over the past year. Without fail, students who are approached by Central 46 representatives disappear before their graduation."

Byakuya was silent for a moment, considering what Soi Fon had told him. "Have you been able to discover where the students have disappeared to?"

Soi Fon frowned slightly, seemingly angered by the question. "No. Neither Yoruichi-sama or myself have been able to shed any light on that."

Ichigo's attention was drawn away from the conversation between the two captains by the arrival of a young noble who was talking to Rukia. He appeared to be in his late twenties, with short black hair and a finely trimmed beard. The man placed his hand lightly on Rukia's arm and began to draw her away.

"Hey, what do you--"

Rukia looked back quickly, smiling to show Ichigo everything was alright. "It's OK Ichigo. You can wait there. I'll be staying in sight."

Ichigo nodded reluctantly and settled for glaring at the nobleman's body guard, who had placed himself in between the two nobles and Ichigo. The conversation between Rukia and the noble wore on for several minutes, Soi Fon and Byakuya still discussing the Central 46 in the background. He frowned when the nobleman tried to draw Rukia further away, but relaxed again when he saw Rukia refuse to move further. The frown returned in full force, quickly becoming a scowl when he saw the noble grab hold of Rukia's arm and attempt to pull her away more forcefully. Ichigo started towards them, only to find an the body guard in his path.

"Move." It was not a request.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait for my master to finish his business with the Kuchiki."

Ichigo looked at the body guard in disbelief. Did nobody know who he was? All he did was break into Sereitei, defeat the toughest squad in the Gotei 13 almost single handedly before rescuing a death row prisoner from imminent execution. He shook his head.

"I'm not saying it again._ Get out of my way_."

Ichigo looked back over at Rukia, seeing that the nobleman was gripping her arm tightly with an arrogant expression. The man's knuckles were white from the pressure he was exerting.

"Like I said, I'm afraid--"

Ichigo snarled. "Not yet you're not."

With that, Ichigo slammed his fist into the body guard's face, feeling bone and cartilage shift under the force of the blow. He strode over the the nobleman, who was oblivious to the fate of his guard, in time to hear Rukia's response to the noble's actions.

"You had your chance to unhand me, now deal with the consequences." Rukia thrust her hand, palm first, into the face of the pushy noble. There was a sharp crack as Rukia gave him a broken nose to match his guard.

Rukia turned to face Ichigo, taking in the condition of the noble's guard, who was kneeling on the floor clutching his nose. "Ah, Ichigo, let us return to our previous conversation."

Ichigo offered his arm to Rukia, who placed her hand on it delicately. There was no way to avoid the attention gained by their actions against the two men, so they pretended to ignore it.

"Damn Shihouin's. Ever since Yoruichi left, they've produced a lot of irritating family members."

"True. But they are so very fun to deal with."

Rukia had raised an eyebrow at Ichigo's attempt at humour, before they took their places next to Byakuya and Soi Fon once more.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo let out a small chuckle at the memory. It had been fun to ruffle the feather's of the nobles.

"Kurosaki, is there something you'd like to share with the class?"

"No, sensei."

"Good. Now, returning to the topic of logarithms ..."

Ishida turned around in his seat to give Ichigo a very obvious smirk. Ichigo pulled a sarcastic smile.

_Must be still bitter about this morning..._

Ichigo chuckled again, quieter this time, as he twisted the black ring that still adorned his finger. He had snuck up behind Uryuu in the morning before class started, and had clapped him on the shoulder before greeting him loudly. Ishida had let out a high pitched scream, shocked at Ichigo appearing behind him without being sensed. It had been a hard blow to the Quincy's dignity, as their entire group of school friends had witnessed the incident.

The school bell rang, and Ichigo jolted up. He hadn't realized how long he had been in a daze for. He really couldn't afford to do that in his senior year.

His group still congregated as normal on the school rooftop, minus of course Rukia and Tatsuki. And speaking of Tatsuki....

"Hey, Inoue." Ichigo called out roughly.

"Hai, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Here." Ichigo handed her a sealed letter. Tatsuki had given it to him before he left the morning after the party. "Tatsuki says Hi."

"Oh, thank you Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue threw her arms around Ichigo, and he patted her on the back, somewhat embarrassed.

Inoue withdrew from her embrace and tucked the letter into her school bag, willing the school day to pass faster so she could go home and read Tatsuki's reply.

Aside from losing Rukia and Tatsuki, nothing had really changed. Keigo was still a pervert(although he had had some success in that department), Mizuiro was still a womanizer (and he was even more successful if anything), Chizuro still used every opportunity to ambush Orihime (except now she fought back), Ishida was still a cold brainiac (but was now president of the sewing and handicrafts club), and Chad was still quiet and huge (and nothing about him had really changed).

Wait, were you just told that nothing had really changed?

Because there was one thing that had occurred, almost overnight, when Ichigo and his friends became seniors.

They all became universally popular. Ichigo and his male friends became the targets of fangirls and junior students crushes, while his female friends became the women to be seen with, and were the victim of many dating proposals. It was all rather aggravating. Especially when some junior approached Ichigo and asked him how to bleach his hair to that particular shade of orange, in the hopes of sharing in the popularity. Needless to say, Ichigo felt the need to re-establish his image as a hard-ass who you _did not talk to_ if you valued your life. If there was an upside to Rukia's absence from the living world to Ichigo, it was that he didn't have to watch drooling fanboys pant after her like a piece of meat. He didn't think he would have been able to stand for that.

**Hollow! Hollow! Hollow!**

Ichigo's mind was drawn back to the present by the screaming of his representative badge. He nodded to Chad, and slammed the badge down on his chest. He watched as Chad arranged his body on the rooftop so that it appeared that he was sleeping, before flash stepping in the direction of the hollow.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Kuchiki-sama, your guests have arrived."

Byakuya did not look away from the documents in front of him. He nodded to the servant. "Bring them in."

Rukia watched from Byakuya's side as three captains and one former captain entered the room in the Kuchiki manor, taking their places across the low table from Byakuya and Rukia.

Hitsugaya, Kyouraku and Soi Fon each wore their normal garb, while Yoruichi was clad in the orange clothing she had worn at Rukia's attempted execution. Yoruichi wasted no time in ruffling Byakuya's feathers.

"Glad you've finally invited me over, Little Byakuya."

Kyouraku chuckled quietly while Byakuya closed his eyes in aggravation. "I am glad you were able to come on such short notice."

"What is it you wanted to talk to us about, Kuchiki-taicho? It can be dangerous for so many of our members to gather in the one spot." Hitsugaya cut right to the point.

Byakuya made no reply, so Rukia took the initiative. "Nii-sama asked you here to discuss the recurring disappearances of promising shinigami from the Spirit Academy."

Soi Fon shot Rukia a sharp gaze as she spoke, surprised to hear her speak for her brother. Kyouraku winked and Yoruichi gave her a small smile. Hitsugaya remained motionless.

"I have little else to add aside from what I have already told you, Kuchiki-taicho." Soi Fon said quickly.

"Then please, inform those who may not have heard of your findings."

Soi Fon's gaze traveled across Kyouraku and Hitsugaya. "Promising shinigami students have been disappearing from the Great Spirit Academy since the reinstatement of the Central 46." Soi Fon shrugged before continuing. "We have no idea where they have gone, and there is no common link besides the fact that each of them was approached by an agent of the Central 46 before disappearing."

"What level of power would you say these students would have been capable of achieving had they joined the Gotei 13?" Hitsugaya questioned her sharply.

"Given time, most of them could have reached lieutenant level, maybe one or two who might've become captains one day."

"That's a lot of power there...." Kyouraku mused. "How many students have disappeared?"

"Somewhere between two and three hundred."

Hitsugaya looked up, eyes narrowed. "How could we have missed a disappearance of that magnitude?"

"Due to the war, we are encouraging new enrollments, far more than usual. We do not customarily have this many students over five years of classes, let alone in one."

"Students are not the only ones going missing." Yoruichi spoke up for the first time. "A number of seated officers have disappeared from the Gotei 13 itself."

Silence greeted the dark woman's words.

"Why have you not told me this, Yoruichi-san? I could have taken steps!" Soi Fon sounded upset.

"It is only a recent discovery. This morning, in fact."

"Still, it will take more than one year to train these missing shinigami up to lieutenant level, and even then they will have large gaps in their knowledge." Kyouraku reasoned out.

"Not if they already had a core group of experienced fighters, at captain level say." All eyes turned to Rukia. "And even if they have gaps in their knowledge, that will have minimal effect on their fighting ability."

When no one spoke up, Rukia continued. "Look at Ichigo. In less than a month, he went from struggling against normal Hollow's, to challenging and defeating captains."

"If the Central 46 already had a group of fighters, their own versions of captains, these fighters would be able to train 300 fighters into a superb fighting force within a year."

Soi Fon's eyes widened at Hitsugaya's words. "You think they're building an army. Their own personal army."

"If they already possess a group of Captain level fighters, why abduct a large number of inexperienced learners? It would be an exercise in futility." Byakuya broke his silence.

"Maybe...maybe they already have the captains, they just need the seated members...."

Kyouraku lifted his large hat, looking Rukia in the eye. "Rukia-san...it sounds like you're suggesting that the Central 46 is building their own version of the Gotei 13."

The silence was deafening. With 300 disappearances, the Central 46 would have adequate numbers to fill 13 squads of 20 seated members each. They might lack the unseated members of the squads, but dedicated training from captain level shinigami would remove that disadvantage.

"We do not need a legion of powerful shinigami in the direct service of the Central 46 with the mentality of Kurosaki running around." Hitsugaya rubbed at his temples.

"Just because they have filled all the seated positions of this potential army, it does not mean they will stop recruiting." Yoruichi warned the others.

"I would like confirmation before we carry this theory too far." Soi Fon did not look entirely convinced.

"Well, that's our job, little bee." Yoruichi ruffled Soi Fon's hair and the 2nd Squad Captain blushed slightly.

"I would appreciate it if you would inform the others of this discussion." Byakuya informed Kyouraku.

The senior captain nodded. "Me 'n' Joushiro'll take care of it."

"Thank you all for coming." Without another word Byakuya rose quietly and left the room.

Hitsugaya left without speaking to anyone, deep in thought, followed by Kyouraku who gave Rukia a jaunty wave. She smiled at the 8th Squad Captain's antics, and approached Yoruichi.

"Excuse me, Yoruichi-san?"

The cat woman turned to face her with a grin. "What can I do for you, Rukia?"

Rukia paused, unsure how to word her request. Finally, she gave in and said what she thought was right.

"I want Bankai."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia hunched over, resting her hands on her knees as she panted heavily.

"Hmmm...your endurance isn't bad. Neither's your Shunpo. I was moving at more than half my best speed." Yoruichi was breathing lightly, seemingly amused at Rukia's condition.

After informing the older woman that she wanted to train for Bankai, Yoruichi had told Rukia to keep up if she could. They were now resting on a grassy hill that overlooked a large expanse of forest.

"How close are you to achieving bankai?"

"Fairly close...but I've still a ways to go."

"I see." Yoruichi nodded. "We'll try this the traditional way first then. I want you to attack me."

To Yoruichi's surprise, Rukia offered no protest or claim that she wouldn't be able to catch her, the Goddess of Flash. The small shinigami flash stepped forward, bringing Sode no Shirayuki out of its sheath gracefully and cutting an arc towards Yoruichi's neck.

Yoruichi recovered from her surprise, dodging quickly and replying with a blow of her own. Rukia's eyes widened in surprise as she barely caught the attack on her

"Never said I wouldn't hit you back." Yoruichi grinned ferally.

The two woman began to dance around each other, attack and defend, slice and counter, lunge and riposte. Rukia gained bruises on her arm from continually blocking Yoruichi's blows, and she managed to cut her sleeve in return.

Yoruichi decided to taunt her a bit. "Not getting very far, are we?"

Rukia's eyes narrowed, showing a determined gleam. Yoruichi grinned and prepared to dodge what should be a potent attack.

"Raikouhou!"

Yoruichi's grin disappeared as a level 63 destructive kido flashed towards her. _No name or chant..._She barely had time to think before forcing a burst of Shunkou to her arm, and blocking, negating the powerful kido. She looked at Rukia who was panting slightly again.

"Never said I couldn't use kido."

Yoruichi grinned again as she prepared to bring the fight up a level. This should be fun.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Sorry, Keigo, I'm busy. Maybe some other time." Ichigo turned away from his now sobbing friend, ignoring his claims that Ichigo had found a girl and he wasn't telling them. He began the long walk home, easing out the stiffness in his shoulders. The hollow from earlier in the day had done nothing to relieve his boredom. He hadn't even drawn his zanpukutou, just bashing his fist through the damn thing's mask before returning to class, and the wonderful world of senior mathematics.

Ichigo blinked, suddenly in front of his home. He had to stop zoning out like that. He rubbed his eyes as he approached his front door. It was just so hard to focus when Rukia wasn't around.

"ICHIGO, MY DELINQUENT SON!!!"

Ichigo darted to one side to avoid his father's flying kick. "Hey, old man."

"You truly are my son...." Ichigo could barely hear Isshin's words from where his father's face was pressed into the pavement.

"Hey, Karin, Yuzu."

"Welcome home, Ichi-nii."

"Hey, Ichigo."

Karin and Yuzu had grown up in the past two years. Now fourteen years old, they had matured considerably. The red head, Jinta, from Urahara's store was hanging around Yuzu far too much for Ichigo's liking, and in Ichigo's opinion, Toushirou spent far too long playing soccer with Karin every time he had an assignment in the living world. But Ichigo had sworn not to become like his father, who had presented the two of them with a personalized chastity belt each for their 13th birthdays.

Ichigo paused on his way up the stairs, as he felt a sensation that felt like Rukia when she was fighting. He shrugged it off. Rukia was in Soul Society, and there was no way he could sense her from there, especially when he was flat out sensing someone in the next room. He dumped his school bag on his bed, closing the door behind him and delivering a swift kick to Kon as the plushie dived at him and demanded to know where his precious Nee-san was.

Ichigo sunk into his chair, a comfortable leather affair, complete with arm rests and drink holders, and turned his new computer on. God, the chaos that had resulted in Ichigo trying to teach Rukia what a computer was....Ichigo could still remember Rukia demanding to know why the mouse was called a mouse and not a bunny, when bunnies were _so _much more adorable.

Ichigo sighed and rubbed his eyes again. He had to stop thinking about Rukia while he was away from her. His computer whirred to life, and Ichigo began to make a start on the homework he had received for the day.

_Tap. Taptap._

Ichigo looked up. His door was open, and there was nobody standing there. He returned to his work.

_TAP. TAP. TAP._

It was more insistent this time. Ichigo got up and strode over to his door, looking up and down the hall. If this was another of his father's jokes...

_TAPTAPTAP__**CRACK**_

"WHAT THE HELL?"

Ichigo whirled in shock as his window shattered, revealing a very pissed off girl in a matching pink jumper and trousers.

"The window, dickhead, the window! Why the hell would you think the noise was coming from the door?"

Ichigo picked his jaw up from the floor and made himself stop pointing. "H-Hiyori, you bitch! Why the hell did you break my window?"

Hiyori's eyebrow twitched. "To get your attention, dickhead-berry! Now get out of your body and follow me!"

When Ichigo continued to scowl at her, she threw her sandal at him. It hit him right on the nose. Hard.

"Bitch!"

"Follow me _now_ or you'll get another one!"

Ichigo made no move, so Hiyori slowly began to remove her other sandal.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming already."

Within ten minutes they were at the Vaizard's warehouse hideout. Ichigo saw Kensei, Love and Rose all playing cards with Mashiro looking on, while Lisa was reading another magazine. Hachigen was meditating quietly, and Shinji was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey there, Ichigo."

"GAH!! STOP FLOATING BEHIND ME LIKE THAT!!"

Ichigo's outburst gained the attention of the rest of the Vaizard, who regarded him with a range of expressions.

"Good to see you too, Ichigo." Shinji took on an aggrieved expression.

"What did you need to pull me all the way out here for?" Ichigo crossed his arms over his chest, still annoyed at the stinging pain from Hiyori's sandal attack. "And why did you have to send that crazy bitch to get me?"

Shinji sent Hiyori a sharp look, causing her to freeze in the process of removing her sandal for a sneak attack. "We called you because we have to leave, Ichigo."

"What?" Ichigo was taken aback.

"We've been in one place for far too long. We could avoid detection easily when there were Arrancar arriving every other day, but now that things have calmed down, we need to move again."

"Why the sudden decision?" Ichigo's brow furrowed as he considered the implications of the move.

"We've been talking about this for a while. We're only telling you now because you're one of us, Ichigo." Shinji clapped Ichigo on the back. "Don't worry; we'll be back before you know it. Karakura gets too much spiritual attention to leave unattended for too long nowadays."

"So what's the point of leaving if you'll be coming back in a couple of days?"

"It'll be longer than a few days. We're talking about close to a month here. In that time we can pump out some reiatsu in other places around the world, giving us some breathing space around here."

"Thanks for giving us the heads up." Ichigo turned to face the rest of his fellow Vaizard's. "Good luck…and be careful."

Shinji looked Ichigo seriously in the eye. "You need to be careful too. Don't reveal your hollow side, and be wary of anyone who meddles or associates with anything to do with Aizen."

Ichigo's frown deepened. "Why such a specific warning?"

"It was a gut instinct that made me distrustful of Aizen in the first place, and it's a gut instinct that's telling me to be careful now."

Ichigo nodded slowly. "Don't worry about me. Mr. Hat 'n' Clogs and Yoruichi-san have joined the group we formed in Soul Society. We can keep the Central 46 in check." Ichigo was sure that Urahara, and therefore Shinji, knew that the Central 46 was under the sway of three nobles. He flash stepped away, hoping to get at least some of his homework done before tomorrow.

Shinji watched the orange haired kid fly off. He might be 17 now, but he was still young. He shook his head slowly.

Ichigo needed to remember that there were other forces out there as well….

**Another chapter, another update, even if it is a bit shorter than the others. Hope you enjoy it, and remember, reviews mean love!**

**Thanks to:**

outlaw hunter

IchigoKurosakiSotaicho

**Jaebard**

**TurquisePL**

**TAKCH1**

And the anonymous Tk.

Reviews keep me going! Thanks again!


	7. Hueco Mundo Incursion

**In case anyone has missed it, the 'group' or 'allies' from Sereitei that I refer to sometimes is the group of Captains that stuck up for Ichigo back in the very first chapter, as well as Urahara and his gang, including Yoruichi. This group are the core allies of Ichigo and the Kuchiki siblings , who see the new Central 46 as a potential threat to Sereitei. Here's the round up: Kenpachi, Soi Fon, Hitsugaya, Kyouraku, Ukitake, Byakuya, Unohana (somewhat), Urahara, and Yoruichi. They have other allies, but these guys are the main 'conspirators'. Hope that cleared things up, and helps avoid future confusion.**

Ichigo stretched out on his bed, twisting the reiatsu eating ring on his finger and enjoying the relaxation that was a Friday afternoon after school. After visiting the Vaizard hideout, the rest of the week had run smoothly. There was the customary Hollow appearances, a surprise test on Thursday, and the usual drama and attention Ichigo and his group had to deal with from the rest of the students/fans.

Ichigo closed his eyes and attempted to ignore the commotion that indicated another fight between Karin and his old man. Whatever peace he had found was shattered abruptly when what felt like a knee plunged into his gut, causing him to bolt upright with a pained yell.

Rukia was sitting on his stomach in her shinigami attire, legs folded beneath her and a mischievous smile on her face. Ichigo took a deep breath to steady himself and to hold in the torrent of abuse that was threatening to pour from his mouth.

"Rukia..." He took another deep breath. "Was there a reason for attacking me like that?" Somebody had better be dying.

"Nope. Just felt like it." Her grin became more pronounced.

Ichigo felt himself about to fly off the handle, but then something much more devious came to mind. Rukia froze the moment she saw a gleam in his eye.

"Ichigo, what—AHH!!"

Rukia was caught up in a fit of giggles, as Ichigo turned, pinned the small woman beneath him and tickled her mercilessly. He ran his fingers up and down her ribs, got her in the crook of her neck, before relinquishing his place on top of her and grabbing her left foot, which he proceeded to torture without pause.

"Mercy! Mercy!" Rukia pleaded with him, while still laughing uncontrollably.

"Say sorry?" Ichigo gave her a moment to catch her breath.

"Nope."

Rukia continued to writhe on his bed as Ichigo resumed his tickling, before pleading for mercy once more. This time Ichigo didn't give her time to catch her breath.

"Mercy! Sorry! Mercy! Stop!"

Ichigo rolled off her body, letting her breathe properly again, before getting comfortable alongside her in his small bed, in between her body and the wall.

"Learned your lesson?" Ichigo asked her smugly.

"Maybe. Don't you dare!" Rukia warned him when it appeared he was trying to resume his attack.

"What's the reason for the visit? You actually get some leave for a change?"

Rukia's smile faded. "No. I was sent to bring you to Sereitei to meet with the Central 46."

Ichigo scowled. "What do they want with me?" Then he thought about his recent meeting with the Vaizard's. "They don't have me under surveillance do they?"

Rukia's eyes turned hard. "No, after they attempted to interfere with you last time, and our allies among the Captains stopped them, they attempted to have you watched without us finding out, but Nii-sama used what influence he has left with the other noble families put a stop to it."

Ichigo was surprised. He hadn't imagined Byakuya sticking his neck out for him. Rukia continued on.

"I'm not sure what they want. All I know is that we're not the only ones who were summoned."

"They summoned you as well?" Ichigo questioned.

"Yes. Nii-sama isn't happy. He says that the Central 46 is beginning to overstep their authority."

"What does that mean?" Ichigo was concerned.

Rukia looked him in the eye. "If they give an order that oversteps their authority and it is not obeyed, that would mean open insurrection on behalf of the Squads involved."

Ichigo sat up, leaning against the wall. "If the Captain's rebelled, the Central 46 wouldn't have a chance. There's no way they could stand up to them."

"I think they're counting on the fact that if this happens, the other Captain's will still follow their orders." Rukia stated grimly.

"There's no way they could actually believe that." Ichigo argued. "They squads were divided when the last Central 46 tried to execute you, an unseated officer. They might not get on well, but the taicho's would stand up for one another."

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Everyone?"

"Well, maybe not Kurotsuchi...." Ichigo amended.

Rukia rose from the bed, straightening her robes as she did so. "In any case, we need to find out what they want. We desperately need to counter their moves." She leapt out through his wall into the street below. Ichigo watched as she drew her zanpukutou and prepared to summon the gate.

"C'mere Kon..."

Ichigo joined Rukia in the street, as the dying sun cast an orange glow across them. Rukia stabbed her blade into the air in front of her.

"Unlock!"

As the gates to Soul Society formed, two hell butterflies fluttered down to hover about their heads.

"Nii-sama will be accompanying us to the audience." Rukia explained shortly.

"He really is concerned by this, isn't he?" Ichigo realized.

"I think Nii-sama would choose military rule and an end to noble influence rather than allow Room 46 to gain more power." Rukia told him seriously. "He considers them to be almost as much of a threat as Aizen." She stepped through the gate and began down the path inside the Dangai, not checking to see if Ichigo was following.

"That's a bit of an attitude reversal, isn't it? Byakuya was always fanatical about the law."

"You've only got yourself to blame for that." When Ichigo looked confused, she continued. "You showed him that just because the law, tradition, or those in power demand it, it doesn't mean that it has to be."

They reached the other side, stepping through the light into what Ichigo assumed would be the large courtyard area before the Senkei gate on the Sereitei side.

"You're brother can be a scary guy...." Ichigo muttered to Rukia as he felt his foot his pavement. He was not expecting the response he received.

"Thank you, Kurosaki."

Ichigo gulped, realizing that they were not in front of the public gate. Standing in front of him, was Byakuya himself.

"Looks like I forgot to mention that we would be using the private Kuchiki gate..." Rukia told him slyly.

"Gee, thanks midget." Ichigo's dry comment was rewarded with a swift kick to the shins. While Ichigo was dancing around holding his leg, Rukia greeted Byakuya and informed him of all she had told Ichigo.

"Kurosaki, you may believe that the Central 46 is reliant on the Gotei 13 as their source of military power. You forget that not all talented individuals are drawn to that institution." Byakuya announced in a monotonous tone.

"What do you mean?"

"There are those who are trained outside of the Shinigami Academy, and the so far unaccounted for missing students. Do not dismiss the military capability of the Central 46 as an entity independent of the Gotei 13."

Ichigo blinked, somewhat taken off guard by the lengthy speech. "Ok. I got the gist of that."

Byakuya nodded gravely. "Now, it is time to proceed to the offices of the Central 46."

The three high level shinigami flash stepped across the landscape, leaving the Kuchiki compound in a blur behind them. It took them only minutes to arrive before the entrance to the meeting chambers, the great door more impressive and secure looking than it had been during the reign of the previous Central 46.

"Paranoid much..." Ichigo muttered under his breath. Both the Kuchiki siblings heard him, and both fought to keep amusement from their faces—Byakuya being more successful in the endeavor.

"Hitsugaya-taicho _did_ break it down rather easily." Rukia reasoned.

Ichigo snorted. "Like they could build a door that could keep one of us out."

"This door, as well as many of the new...upgrades...to Room 46 have been laced with Sekki Stone." Byakuya's tone was disapproving.

The imposing doors yawned open, and the three of them proceeded in.

"You'd think they were expecting an attack..." Ichigo observed.

"You need to watch your tongue from here on out, Kurosaki. Your rash behaviour will not benefit us here."

Rukia smiled lightly at the expression on Ichigo's face. They entered a large anteroom, which was sparsely lit by torches placed at intervals along the walls. There were benches that ringed the centre, leaving a large open area in the middle. It reminded Ichigo of a dungeon in a medieval castle.

"Yo, Rukia!"

Ichigo turned to face the source of the voice. Renji and Tatsuki were lounging on one of the benches in the corner of the room. Tatsuki waved a greeting to Ichigo after Renji had called out to Rukia, and both newcomers bowed to Byakuya. Ichigo and Rukia joined them on the bench, while Byakuya remained standing.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ichigo asked the couple.

"I got a Hell Butterfly summoning me here after the taicho left," Renji indicated Byakuya. "so I came here, and I met up with Tatsuki on the way."

"Who did you leave in charge of the Division?" Byakuya inquired.

"I put Rikichi in charge, and told them that anyone who disobeys him will answer to you, taicho."

"He is not the next most senior squad member." Byakuya chided.

"Maybe not, but I trust him the most. He gained a lot of power recently. Told me he wanted to surpass somebody." Renji scratched his head. "Damned if I know who though."

Byakuya barely managed to keep himself from rolling his eyes at his vice-captain's ignorance, as Rukia questioned Tatsuki on why she was called.

"I got the same message Renji did. Come to Room 46 post-haste, you'll be informed of why once you're there." Tatsuki shrugged. "I told Soi Fon-taicho where I was going, and here I am."

Further conversation was cut off when another Hell Butterfly floated down from the high ceiling. A disembodied voice informed them that it was time for their audience. A pair of large doors opened at the end opposite to the entrance, and the five of them entered without another word.

"Welcome." The members of Room 46 spoke as one, their voices echoing in the large chamber. Ichigo couldn't make out any of their faces, as most of their bodies were cloaked in shadow. A member on the right wall of the room stood and addressed them.

"You have been summoned here today to receive a task." He seemed to look at Byakuya. "That is, four of you have been summoned here to receive that task."

"I am here in my capacity as guardian to my sister. It is my right." Byakuya replied sternly. It was the first time Ichigo had heard the man argue with any type of authority.

There were some mutterings that echoed off the walls of the great chamber, but they seemed to accept the captain's reasoning.

Another member addressed them. "The four of you are to investigate an increase in high level Hollow activity within Hueco Mundo." The noble made to continue, but was interrupted almost angrily by Byakuya.

"You propose to send two lieutenants, a sixth seat, and an unseated officer into Hueco Mundo? This is a task better suited to Captains!"

"You of all people should be aware that their ranking is not representative of their power, Kuchiki-taicho." Yet another member of the council answered his outburst.

Rukia sidled closer to Ichigo. "That was Lord Ryosuke, one of the three." She whispered. Ichigo nodded and returned his attention to the issue at hand.

"The four selected will have no trouble dealing with any troubles they encounter. This is a reconnaissance mission, not an invasion." The figure identified as Ryosuke continued. "And Kuchiki Byakuya....you are forbidden to participate in this mission."

Before any of Ichigo's friends could respond, another figure entered the chamber, but remained in shadow.

"Even if you forbid Kuchiki-taicho to participate in this mission, another Captain _will_ be going."

There were further mutterings at this announcement. It had been phrased as a command, and that did not sit well with the Central 46.

"Very well. We shall send Kurotsuchi-taicho along with you."

"That will not be necessary. I have already received orders to infiltrate Hueco Mundo, and so I shall accompany them myself." The figure stepped out from the shadows, revealing himself as Hitsugaya Toushirou, 10th Squad Captain.

"We have the authority to choose a captain of our choice, and we feel that Kurotsuchi will be more...compatible with the aims of the mission."

Ichigo couldn't hold back a derisive snort. Attention was focused on him. "Who's aims? Yours or ours?"

There were angry protests that came from all corners of the chamber at Ichigo's accusation, and he could have sworn he saw the corners of Byakuya's mouth twitch up slightly in what _could_ have been a suppressed smile.

A cold, arrogant voice that Ichigo recognized as Lord Hirato spoke up. "We have selected Kurotsuchi as the leader of the expedition. You question our decision?"

"Be wary, Lord Hirato. You have forbidden me from participating in this mission, and you proceed to choose a captain with an unsavoury reputation over another Captain already here, who also has orders parallel to your own. If you continue to treat the Captain's as your personal servants, you will find that the nobility wavering in their support."

A chill silence fell over the room in the wake of Byakuya's warning. The Central 46 seemed to be considering their options. The silence was broken by a sudden announcement.

"We have selected unseated officer Kurosaki Ichigo, sixth seat Arisawa Tatsuki, lieutenants Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji, and captain Hitsugaya Toushirou as the scouting party to Hueco Mundo to investigate the recent increase in high level Hollow activity. We are thankful for our wisdom that has led us to this decision."

Any gravity in the situation was lost abruptly when both Ichigo and Tatsuki launched into identical coughing fits that may have been a cover for laughter. While the others were used to the long winded and self congratulatory way of speaking, Ichigo and Tatsuki found it a bit rich, having come so recently from the living world.

Without waiting for a dismissal, they made to leave the chamber.

"Wait."

They stopped, waiting somewhat impatiently.

"This will not be the only mission you perform as a group." The figure—Rukia had called him Ryosuke, Ichigo remembered—leaned forward, giving him a glimpse of a cadaverous face and deep sunk eyes. "And your next mission will _require_ Kurotsuchi-taicho's participation."

Ichigo nodded curtly, responding for the group. He turned and strode out of the chamber, leading his friends without another glance at the arrogant men and woman who had weaseled their way into the Central 46.

Ichigo took a deep breath, savouring the fresh air outside the Central 46 buildings. Rukia wormed her way under his arm, and slid her own arm around his waist. Ichigo placed his arm around her shoulders, pointedly avoiding a glare from Byakuya. He reflected on their relationship, how slow they had been to admit they had feelings for each other, let alone act on them. It had taken a separation for them to become closer, but after that things had accelerated rapidly. They had been close nakama—very close nakama, until the events of Kyouraku's party. He wasn't entirely sure where they stood now, but he was happy to move forward.

Ichigo's musing was interrupted when Rukia withdrew her arm.

"I need to inform Ukitake-taicho about my mission. I'll meet you at the Senkei gate." Rukia gave him a quick peck on the cheek before disappearing in with a Shunpo.

Tatsuki mimicked Rukia's actions with Renji, before flash stepping in the direction of her own division. Byakuya disappeared without a word, and Toushirou muttered something about a 'to-do' list for his vice-captain.

Ichigo and Renji began to make their way to the Senkei gates, using leisurely flash steps to take their time. They discussed the upcoming mission.

"What do you think they meant by 'increased high level Hollow activity'? Bit of a mouthful isn't it?" Ichigo asked.

"Probably a couple of Vasto Lorde or Arrancar, or maybe a concentration of Adjuchas." Renji shrugged.

"Are we gonna kill them, or just observe?" Ichigo wanted to know.

"If the Soutaicho had ordered us there, I'd say kill em all, but since he didn't...I think it's just going to be an observe and report mission."

Ichigo nodded. "So how're we supposed to know where this Hollow activity is? And why the hell are we investigating it? If shinigami are sent to Hueco Mundo, shouldn't it be a killing squad?"

"The Central 46 probably wants to find out if it's just a normal gathering of if it's related to Aizen." Renji paused. "And we'll be using a modified Senkei gate, similar to the gate that you used to get to Hueco Mundo the first time round." He smirked. "As to how we pin-point their location, I, unlike you, can actually sense reiatsu."

Ichigo leveled a glare at the smirking pineapple head.

When Rukia and Tatsuki arrived at the Senkei gate marshaling area, they found the orange strawberry and the red pineapple rolling around on the ground attempting to beat the living daylights out of each other. The two women looked at each other and rolled their eyes before dragging their respective partners off each other, and then proceeding to beat them up themselves. When the two women decided their unruly menfolk had been sufficiently punished, they stepped back to admire their handiwork before healing them. The whole ordeal left the men decidedly grumpy.

"Now, what do we say?" Rukia asked them both in a condescending tone

"You're kidding, right?" Ichigo asked in disbelief.

"Nope. Now kiss and make up." Tatsuki added.

Ichigo and Renji looked at each other, looked back at the threatening women in front of them, and then decided that they would indeed kiss and make up.

When Hitsugaya arrived at the Senkei gate, he found Rukia and Tatsuki being firmly held in the laps of Ichigo and Renji respectively. He shook his head as they sprang apart like startled deer.

"What took you so long, Toushirou?" Ichigo still addressed him by his given name, causing a vein in Toushirou's head to twitch in annoyance.

"You try dealing with a hysterical blonde while she's trying to suffocate you with her breasts. She lost the list of instructions I gave her _twice_ while I was still there, and I had to threaten to saddle her with the entire division's paperwork for a month if she didn't work while I'm gone." The twitching vein subsided. "It was aggravating, to say the least."

Rukia and Tatsuki attempted to look sympathetic, while Ichigo and Renji struggled to hold back laughter. Hitsugaya straightened his back.

"Let's go." He ordered. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back and I can start repairing the damage Matsumoto will cause in my absence."

They watched as the Senkei gate came to life, but instead of a bright light shining through, there was a darkness swirling with spirit particles.

"Form a path by manipulating the spirit particles within and head for the darkness. We should make it to Hueco Mundo that way." Hitsugaya explained, mainly for Tatsuki's benefit. She nodded.

"I understand." Tatsuki didn't mention she had already heard that explanation, back when Ichigo had first left for Hueco Mundo to save Orihime.

Without another word, the five of them leapt through the gate, each treading on their own bright path of spirit particles.

A small lizard with a white mask crawled across the sands of Hueco Mundo, absorbing the spirit particles around it in the quest to keep on living. It climbed up a rock and paused, feeling something change. The moon shone down directly upon it. There was a sudden shattering sound, and the lizard scurried off the rock and burrowed down into the sand, hiding itself from the intruders.

Ichigo landed on the uneven sand, steadying himself by grabbing the branch of a nearby quartz tree. Rukia placed an arm against Ichigo to go her balance, before checking the rest of their team. Tatsuki was down on one knee, her zanpukutou half drawn with Renji standing protectively over her while his eyes scanned the landscape for any possible threats. Hitsugaya was staring at a great structure that appeared to be a small distance away.

"Kurosaki, is that--?"

"Yeah, that's Las Noches, Aizen's old palace."

"That's were Orihime was held?" Tatsuki asked intently. Ichigo nodded.

"It looks rather close." Hitsugaya observed.

"Trust me, it isn't. We were a hell of a lot closer when we came to rescue Inoue, and it still took us ages to reach it." Ichigo shook his head. "Is that where the Hollow activity is?" He was dreading another marathon just to reach the destination.

"No, the Hollow activity is in the opposite direction." Rukia explained. "It's fairly close, actually." She looked at Ichigo. "You'll need to hide your reiatsu. Can you do that?"

"No problem." Ichigo pulled a small object out of his robe and slipped it on his finger. His reiatsu dropped immediately, and Toushirou eyed him with interest.

"What is that, Kurosaki?"

"It's a ring that eats at my reiatsu. Ukitake-san got it for me so I wouldn't offend any of the delicate nobles when I acted as a bodyguard for Rukia at that nobles gathering." Ichigo snorted. "It's sorta similar to Kenpachi's eyepatch."

"Does it affect you in a fight?" Hitsugaya sounded interested, even as he continued to survey the surrounding landscape.

"Not in the smaller ones. If I was to fight an Espada though, I'd definitely want to take it off."

"Ok. We need to get going." Hitsugaya examined their group. "We'll stick together for as long as we can, but we should also spread out to cover more ground. Understood?"

The rest of them nodded, and spread out into a line. Rukia and Tatsuki took a position in the middle, with Ichigo on one end and Hitsugaya on the other, and Renji in position between Tatsuki and Hitsugaya.

Wordlessly, Tatsuki released her zanpukutou. The blade shrank, becoming a smaller curved blade with a red tassel on the end. Almost immediately, her reiatsu became more slippery, harder to sense.

"That's your zanpukutou's ability?" They were still grouped closely together, so Hitsugaya could speak without shouting.

"More like a side effect of her personality. Kagemusha always says that only loud mouthed braggarts announce their intentions to the world." Tatsuki blushed slightly at this. "Releasing her improves my senses and makes me harder to sense in turn. I've also got an offensive attack."

Toushirou nodded. "Ok. Spread out."

They spread out, spacing themselves close to 200 metres apart, advancing towards the concentration tat they could all feel (even Ichigo).

Close to half an hour later, they stumbled upon the Hollow activity. Hollow marshaling point would have been more accurate. There was a large sand dune, larger than most, with a canyon winding through it that appeared to have been carved by some sort of high temperature attack. The walls of the canyon were glass, and were riddled with caves and tunnels. Ichigo could see Hollow, Gillian, Adjuchas, and he thought he caught a glimpse of a Vasto Lorde before it was shielded from sight by the sheer mass of activity in the canyon.

"This is serious." Rukia breathed. They had gathered together upon discovering the canyon, and were now perched on the edge, peering down into it.

"We can't deal with this many on our own." Renji announced.

"We need to find out some more before we leave. This could be Aizen's new base of operations, although I doubt it. It doesn't feel grand enough for his tastes." Hitsugaya turned to Ichigo. "Could you pass for an Arrancar if you wore your mask?"

"Maybe...but I don't see any Arr--"

Ichigo cut himself off and whirled, bring Zangetsu around to block a humanoid hand that was aimed for his neck. His eyes widened in shock. It was the Vasto Lorde he had seen earlier.

"Welcome to my home." The Hollow was soft spoken, and Ichigo couldn't determine its sex from their voice. Ichigo applied more pressure with his zanpukutou, forcing his opponent to back up. He glanced at his companions.

They were all in similar situations. Hitsugaya was straining against a Vasto Lorde that was of a height with him, and the others were each facing off with their own Adjuchas level opponents. The Adjuchas were smaller than those Ichigo had seen previously, but his instincts told him that they were much more dangerous. They had probably responded to the incursion with their most powerful members.

Ichigo saw Rukia pushing against a creature with two blade like arms with her zanpukutou, and watched in horror as a third arm slowly uncurled from behind its back, out of Rukia's sight. Ichigo's opponent followed his gaze and asked one question, knowing that the orange haired shinigami couldn't save his comrade and protect himself at the same time.

"What will you do?" **(A/N#1)**

Ichigo's eyes began to glow blue with power, and all eyes were drawn to him.

"This..." He replied equally as softly.

Ichigo released his grip on Zangetsu with his right hand, holding it with his left arm only, and aimed his right at Rukia's opponent. A red orb grew at the tips of his fingers.

"Cero..." He whispered.

**A/N#1: I could've been a real prick here and left it as a cliffie...but I wanted to write the next bit, so I didn't.**

**It just occurred to me that I haven't translated Tatsuki's zanpukutou yet. Kagemusha translates as Shadow Warrior.**


	8. Hueco Mundo Skirmish

**Quick Note: If I make any mistakes regarding plot continuity, please let me know. Sometimes its hard to keep all the details of a few different stories in my head at once. Now enjoy a chapter full of ass-kickery!**

"What will you do?"

Ichigo's eyes began to glow blue with power, and all eyes were drawn to him.

"This..." He replied equally as softly.

Ichigo released his grip on Zangetsu with his right hand, holding it with his left arm only, and aimed his right at Rukia's opponent. A red orb grew at the tips of his fingers.

"Cero..." He whispered.

The red light pulsed towards the Adjuchas, frozen in its place as it moved to kill Rukia. There was a buzz of Sonido, and the Cero impacted.

But not with the detonation that was expected. The red orb was being sucked in, absorbed by the newcomer announced by the Sonido. When the light dissipated, Ichigo got a good look at the foe that had blocked his attack. Torn green clothing, horned mask, long green hair.....

"You're really fucked now." Hitsugaya's own Vasto Lorde opponent whispered almost gleefully. "Wait till--"

"ICHIGO!!"

The Vasto Lorde's gloating was cut off when the newcomer dived at Ichigo, bringing him into a bone crushing embrace.

"GAH!! NEL!" Ichigo choked out, feeling the air being squeezed out of his lungs.

"Ahem."

Nel raised her head from Ichigo's shoulder to send an evil look in Rukia's direction. Slightly shocked at the way Nel had greeted one of the shinigami invaders, the Hollow backed off, giving the shinigami some space, but were still looking extremely hostile.

"Do you think we could go somewhere to talk about this before things get out of hand?" Ichigo asked Nel, not liking the looks the Adjuchas were giving his friends.

Nel nodded happily, indicating the others to follow her. She led them to a small outcrop at the edge of the canyon, that actually concealed a steep set of stairs leading away from the canyon. They followed her down the stairs, Ichigo and his friends keeping a close eye on the Hollow around them. They followed Nel down for several minutes, before entering a large chamber, with light being reflected down the stair case and into the room by the glass walls. It appeared that the entire cave system had been carved by something of a high temperature. The two groups take positions on opposite sides of the chamber.

"Why have you invaded our home?"

Ichigo glanced at his opponent, the Vasto Lorde who had spoken, but it was Hitsugaya who answered.

"We are acting under orders." Hitsugaya informed them evenly.

"She wasn't talking to you." Hitsugaya's own opponent snarled back at him.

"Nel, why don't we introduce ourselves before things get out of hand?" Rukia spoke up, noticing the way that Renji and Tatsuki were glaring at their opponents.

"Ok!" Nel agrees happily. "I'm Neliel Tu Odverschank. Pleased to meet you all!" She waved happily at Hitsugaya and Tatsuki, the only two she hadn't met previously. They stared, somewhat taken aback by her attitude.

"I am Hitsugaya Toushirou, captain of the Gotei 13's 10th Division." He did not add anything else.

"I am Tempest." Ichigo's opponent answered.

"Abarai Renji, vice-captain of the Gotei 13's 6th Division."

"Arisawa Tatsuki, 6th Seat of the Gotei 13's 2nd Division."

"Bard." Hitsugaya's own opponent introduced himself, still glaring at Hitsugaya, probably because Hitsugaya was the only one of an eye level with him.

Ichigo glanced at the remaining Adjuchas, who glared stubbornly back, refusing to introduce themselves. Ichigo sighed and gave in.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, a human."

"Ah, I have heard of you." Tempest answered quietly.

Ichigo felt a cocky smirk forming on his face, glad that _someone_, _somewhere_, had actually heard of him. Rukia gave a sigh.

"It will take me forever to bring his ego back down to a bearable level now." She stated mournfully.

Tempest gave a small smile, and Ichigo examined the two Vasto Lorde as more than enemies for the first time. Tempest was tall and willowy, with a slight figure. She had mottled green skin, similar to a snakes scales, and deep black hair, with a crimson splash on her fringe. She had a face that could be called kind, if only it showed any emotion. Her eyes were orange.

Bard was short, and had midnight black skin. He was covered with scars, and several seemed fresh. He had a mane of black hair that blended in with his skin and stretched from from the back of his neck down his spine. There were four white lines that ran backwards across his skull from his forehead and onto his shoulders, and ran down the inside of his arms before reaching the palms of each hand and extending to his ring and forefingers. He didn't appear to have eyelids, which was why he always appeared to be glaring. His eyes were a vibrant green, a contrast to his black skin.

While Tempest and even Bard seemed to be less hostile towards the shinigami than they were at the start, the other Adjuchas were still eager to fight. Ichigo's rage spiked when Rukia's three-armed opponent spoke up.

"Can we kill our shinigami now?" She had a dry, nasally voice, and was looking at Rukia as if she was her property. She took a step back, cowering behind Bard when she felt the killing intent begin to emanate from Ichigo.

"Harpis, do I have to remind you that if I had not interfered and saved you from the Cero of that _shinigami_, you would now be a smoking husk?" Nel spoke her words very deliberately.

The group of Adjuchas were silent again at this, glancing at Ichigo, trying to figure out just what the hell he was. As a group, they head out of the chamber, pausing at the base of the stairs. Harpis spoke for the group.

"If any of you shinigami show your faces here again, _we will kill you_. Because we are Hollow, and you are Shinigami." She threw a look at Ichigo, the shinigami who fired Cero's, and Nel, the Hollow who wielded a zanpukutou and was sending a dangerous glare their way. "Whatever you are, it is not a shinigami." She relented. "We will not kill _you_ on sight." Harpis led the other two Adjuchas from the room.

There was a moment of silence in their wake.

"Will you now tell us why you are here?" Tempest spoke evenly, and Bard moved to stand at her side.

Ichigo shrugged. "We were ordered to investigate an increase in Hollow activity here. We planned on having a look around and then getting out of here."

"We have lived here for nearly a year. Our numbers have been steady since then, and we have been careful to have our more powerful brethren keep their power cloaked."

"Sorry, lived? I thought Hollow always roamed, and fought together when they met." Tatsuki was confused.

Bard snorted. "Spoken like a recruit fresh out of the academy."

"I've only been dead for two years, so deal with it!" Tatsuki retorted. Bard seemed to be taken back by the power that such a recently deceased spirit had.

"How could there have been a 'recent' rise in Hollow activity if your numbers and power levels have been stable? Could the reiatsu activity have been boosted somehow?" Rukia attempted to get the conversation back on track.

Nel shook her head. "No, at the moment, I'm the sole Arrancar here, and Tempest and Bard are the only Vasto Lorde."

"You should be wary of the other Arrancar if you have others drifting through here." Renji advised. "Especially since Aizen is still making more."

At the mention of Aizen, the reiatsu of Bard and Tempest shook angrily.

"Nel and another Arrancar by the name of Grimmjow are the only Arrancar that are welcome here." Tempest's reply was chilled. "It is because of Aizen that all the Hollow here call this place home. We owe our continued freedom to Grimmjow and Neliel."

Hitsugaya took a moment to absorb this information. With the right approach and mentality, Ichigo could possibly turn this refugee camp of Hollow's into an effective fighting force. While he would never consider an alliance with any Hollow, he knew that Ichigo looked at the Hollow's by who they were, not what they were.

"What are we going to tell the Central 46?" Ichigo sounded reluctant.

"You would consider lying about your findings?" Bard sounded surprised.

"We don't exactly get along with our government." Ichigo responded dryly. "They're less concerned about Aizen and more so on expanding their authority."

"I think we should report that there is a small enclave here, nothing of note. We can share our real findings with our allies after we make our report." Hitsugaya spoke authoritatively.

"Division amongst the enemy? That is unusual." Tempest raised her eyebrows, her tone slightly mocking.

"The leaders are supposed to look out for the people. If they can't do that, they don't deserve the job." Ichigo said firmly.

Tempest was surprised by the strength of his words. She had heard that Kurosaki was only a human boy.

The female Vasto Lorde examined the mysterious hybrid closely. He had reacted so strongly when the small shinigami woman had been threatened by Harpis. Looking at the shinigami, Rukia, Tempest reminded herself, she could see a strange look in her eyes whenever they rested on the orange haired man. She couldn't decipher it.

A sudden, sinister crawling feeling cut off further conversation. The air was slick with hostile reiatsu, and it was all around. Ichigo met Nel's eyes.

"Arrancar." They spoke in unison.

There were three seperate buzzes of Sonido, five whispers of of Shunpo, and they were all standing at the canyon edge. Bard and Tempest seemed surprised that a sixth seat had almost kept pace with them, and even slightly shocked that Ichigo had beaten them all. Hitsugaya and Rukia, courtesy of her training with Yoruichi, had appeared in pace with the Vasto Lorde, Renji arriving a second later along with Tatsuki.

Gathered at the base of the hill that hid the canyon hideout, stood a group of humanoid Arrancar. Ichigo concluded that they were all Adjuchas or Gillian level before they were turned, due to their only slightly human appearance. There were eight in total.

Tempest ran her tongue over her lips, tasting the air. "There are two other groups of Arrancar arrayed around our home. They are in groups of six and seven."

Rukia looked at Tempest curiously. "It's one of my abilities." The Vasto Lorde explained. "I can taste the reiatsu currents in the air, but only in a limited area."

"Rukia, Tatsuki, Renji." Ichigo instructed. "Deal with the group of seven. Nel, can you go with them?"

Nel nodded her assent, disappearing along with the three Ichigo had named.

"I will go with Bard and Tempest to deal with the group of six." Hitsugaya glanced at Ichigo. "If they fight alongside me, and Nel fights with the others, the other Hollow drawn to the Arrancar should leave us alone."

Ichigo nodded, but it was clear his attention was elsewhere. The bandages fell from Zangetsu, revealing his cleaver-like zanpukutou. The two Vasto Lorde procrastinated, curious to see the power of the hybrid who had pitted himself against eight Arrancar.

Ichigo raised his blade, aiming it at the moon. It was glowing blue, screaming its desire to cut.

"Getsuga..."

The blade swung down.

"TENSHOU!!"

The current of blue energy flew towards the startled Arrancar. Only the swiftest of them escaped unscathed, and four of them received blistering scorches across their bodies, having only partially escaped the blast.

The remains of two of the more unfortunate enemies dissolved in the wind, drifting over their shocked comrades.

Tempest stared at the orange haired human, who, in his _shikai_, had destroyed two Arrancar and severely wounded four more in a single attack. Bard blinked as Ichigo blurred into a flash step, and he lost sight of him for a moment. There was the sound of a blade whistling through the air, and another injured Arrancar fell. Hitsugaya shook his head at the expressions of the Vasto Lorde at Ichigo's display of power.

"If we don't get a move on, Ichigo will have finished his fight before we even reach ours." Hitsugaya told them dryly.

Bard barked a short laugh before replying. "Can't have that, can we?"

The Vasto Lorde's and the Shinigami Captain blurred out of sight, already competing against each other.

Ichigo stared at the five remaining remaining Arrancar, three of which bore savage wounds from his first attack. They had approached the Hollow base with a cavalier attitude, believing they were facing a rabble of Adjuchas level of Hollow, and a Vasto Lorde or two if they were lucky. They weren't expecting the intensity and power displayed by the shinigami they were facing. They weren't expecting a shinigami at all.

Almost lazily, Ichigo fired wordless Getsuga Tenshou towards the foe who were once again clustered together, and smiled grimly when another Arrancar was consumed. Small time Arrancar like this couldn't stand up to him. They were probably all Gillian before they were turned.

The Arrancar scattered out of the path of Ichigo's attack, realizing that any attack in their current forms would be futile. As one, they each released their zanpukutou, becoming obscured in a cloud of sand and dust kicked up by their reiatsu.

Ichigo waited calmly for the dust to settle. When the landscape cleared, he found himself surrounded by the released forms of his enemies. Three of them now resembled creatures out of fantasy, a griffin, a centaur, and a minotaur, and the last now had a number of whip-like tentacles protruding from its back, but was otherwise unchanged.

Ichigo rested his blade on his shoulder, waiting for them to make the first move. His foes let out an outraged roar at his cocky attitude and rushed him. The Minotaur swung a double-bladed axe at Ichigo heavily, hoping to pin him in place and provide an opening.

Ichigo grinned as he blocked the attack, holding Zangetsu with one hand. He twisted to one side, avoiding one of the twin blades held by the Centaur. The other blade followed closely, barely giving Ichigo time to dodge. It caught him across the cheek, and Ichigo dived backwards to avoid an aerial attack by the Griffin.

Ichigo wiped a hand across his cheek, pulling it away and examining the blood now smeared across it. Rukia wouldn't be happy. He gave a slight shudder at how she would be sure to react.

His foes took Ichigo's shudder as a sign that he was being overwhelmed, and took the opportunity to keep up the pressure. Ichigo found himself suddenly bound, his arms forced behind his back as a large number of tentacles wrapped themselves around him. Ichigo swore at himself for not keeping an eye on the fourth enemy as the other three lunged for him, bellowing their victory.

"Dance, Sode No Shirayuki."

Rukia's released zanpukutou blocked a swing that was aimed for Renji's back, frost spreading along her enemy's blade. He made to pull back, but was shocked when he found that his blade was frozen to the small shinigami's in front of him. He snarled and made to stab her with his bare hand, only to be interrupted when Zabimaru cleaved through the back of his head. Renji grinned at her over his shoulder, and directed Zabimaru in a another direction. Tatsuki was like a dancer, twisting and turning around the two of them and throwing blades from her released zanpukutou in every direction, forcing their foes to keep moving. Renji was weaving his blade through the air, forming a protective ring around them that the enemy was forced to dodge numerous times just to get into a position to attack them, while Rukia stood her ground on the white sand, dispatching any foes that came close to her friends. Nel was moving around the outskirts of the fight, moving almost too fast to be seen, planning only to interfere if any of the shinigami's lives were threatened.

Two Arrancar were already down, the first having been dispatched by Rukia by a stab to the head. Two more enemies made it past Zabimaru, and they both rushed at Rukia. She leveled her blade at them.

"Tsugi no Mae..."

The two Arrancar split up, sensing a powerful attack coming. Rukia focused on the larger of the two, hoping that he wouldn't have the speed to dodge.

"Hakuren!"

A wave of ice exploded towards the unfortunate Arrancar, freezing it in place but not killing it. Rukia turned to block her other foe, but had badly misjudged her speed, finding the female Arrancar right in front of her leaping a foot into the air, intending to pierce Rukia's neck with her wakizashi.

A storm of daggers met her in midair, throwing her to the ground in a bloody heap. Rukia turned to face her fully and set her stance.

The Arrancar woman was pinned to the ground by her clothes, daggers holding her in place. Three daggers had pierced her left shoulder and breast, the rest had gouged her, but had not gone deep enough to stay in.

"You bitch! You think an attack like that will slow me down?!" The female Arrancar spat out angrily, apparently unfazed by Tatsuki's attack.

"Nope. That was just to get you pinned down." Tatsuki's eyes began to glow yellow, channeling her power into the daggers.

The resulting explosion blew debris a good fifty feet into the air, consuming the screaming Arrancar.

Renji looked on appreciatively while Tatsuki grinned at her first kill. Three down, three to go. Rukia turned to face the Arrancar who had just escaped its icy prison with a determined look.

Hitsugaya was racing Bard and Tempest to the site of the third incursion. He surprised himself when he thought of them as people, rather than Hollow's to be exterminated. Hollow's had always been portrayed as mindless beasts, preying viciously on the souls of humans. He supposed that lower level Hollows were just mindless beasts, but the two Vasto Lorde were actually rational beings.

"We are fairly civilized, even for Vasto Lorde's. It comes from living together with others and keeping yourself from ripping their heads off." Bard explained, with a touch of sarcasm. "I could practically hear the cogs turning over in your head." He explained to Hitsugaya's questioning look.

"Focus now." Tempest chided them, and they forced their eyes to the front like a pair of students caught passing notes by their sensei.

They arrived at the location of their targets, seven Arrancar that were spread out evenly over the landscape. They were in a clearing among what could only be called a small grove of quartz trees. Hitsugaya set his eyes on what appeared to be the leader, a heavily muscled Arrancar that looked more human than the rest of the group.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens....HYOURINMARU!"

Hitsugaya unleashed his shikai with a yell, sending the great ice dragon bearing down upon the Arrancar leader. He seemed shocked by the figure in shinigami robes and a captain's haori standing next to two Vasto Lorde that had just released an attack that sealed his fate.

Hyourinmaru slammed into him, consuming him and one of his comrades that was standing too close. The ice erupted upwards upon hitting the ground, before shattering and fading away.

Two of the remaining Arrancar charged blindly at them, only to be intercepted by a Cero each. Their headless bodies disintegrated as they fell to the ground.

"One left each." Bard smirked.

Hitsugaya grinned. If Kurosaki could have an ex-Espada as a rival, there was no reason why he couldn't have a Vasto Lorde as one too.

Ichigo grimaced as he struggled against the tentacles that were binding him tight. He saw the three Arrancar in their Resureccion forms coming for him with bloodlust in their eyes and knew that he didn't have time to escape. Shit. He might be powerful, but he wasn't god. Beware hubris.

"Ban...Kai!"

The Arrancar gripping his limbs was blown violently backwards, overwhelmed by the increase in Ichigo's reiatsu. Ichigo grinned at the Arrancar who were still coming at him, but were nowhere near as confident as they had been when he was bound.

"Tensa Zangetsu." He chanted. "Getsuga Tenshou."

The black and red energy burst from his thin katana, slicing clean through the Centaur, separating the human and horse body parts. Before the body had begun to dissipate, Ichigo was gone, slicing through the tentacles that were now being used by the Arrancar in a vain attempt to shield itself.

Ichigo carved a bloody swathe through the enemy's body, cutting in a curve from its left shoulder to its right hip. The body of the Centaur dissolved at the same time as its comrade's, and Ichigo's two remaining enemies let out an enraged roar at the fall of their comrades.

Ichigo watched calmly, feeling the blood drip from the cut on his cheek. The Minotaur bellowed as it brought its axe down on Ichigo, attempting to cleave him in two.

Ichigo blocked the blow with Zangetsu, shattering the great axe. The Minotaur let out an agonized moan.

"Bakudou Ich: Sai!"

The Minotaur found its arms pinned behind its back, now in the same position Ichigo himself had been in.

"Don't go anywhere now, you hear?" Ichigo told the pinned Arrancar smugly. It cursed at him as it struggled.

Ichigo turned to face the Griffin Arrancar, and flinched in pain as its claws raked across his chest, leaving three bloody lines.

"Bad move...." Ichigo growled at the Griffin.

It snapped its beak at his face, forcing Ichigo to take a step back. The Griffin beat its powerful wings, but was caught off guard when Ichigo stepped forward again, grabbing it by its throat. A red light streamed out from beneath his fingers.

Ichigo grinned as he released the Cero, obliterating his opponent. He turned his back on the downed foe, making for the still pinned Minotaur. Fear was clear in its eyes, as it watched the approach of the shinigami that had destroyed his comrades almost effortlessly.

Ichigo blurred into a flash step, re-appearing several feet behind the Minotaur. He released his binding spell and heard his enemy's body fall to the ground. He was glad that Rukia had pestered him to learn some Kido. He had a bastard of a time using anything more than low level spells, but those that he could pull off were absurdly powerful. He discarded his Bankai state, returning to his shikai, and used his sleeve to clear some of the grit out of the cut on his cheek before examining the three on his chest. _Better get Rukia to heal them._ Ichigo wasn't going to risk her wrath. He trotted off in the direction of her fight, that felt like it was coming to a close.

Rukia finished the chant in sync with Tatsuki, aiming for the last three foes that were being painfully constricted by Renji's zanpukutou.

"Hadouno Sanjuuichi: Shakkahou!"

The twin red blasts consumed the last of the enemies, and Renji withdrew his zanpukutou, resting it across his shoulder with a cocky expression.

"Not one scratch on him." Renji boasts of his zanpukutou, and the girls roll their eyes.

"You did well." They turn to face Nel, who had observed their battle rather than participate in it. "The two of you have definitely become stronger since I last met you." She continues, indicating Renji and Rukia. She shakes her head at Tatsuki. "I think all of Ichigo's friends must be crazily strong if you've only been dead for two years." Nel finished with a cheeky grin.

The three of them blushed.

"Ichigo has already finished fighting. I wonder how Hitsugaya-taicho is doing." Renji mused.

"Bard and Tempest are with him too." Tatsuki adds.

Renji obviously hadn't considered the other Hollow fighting with them.

"It will be good to talk to someone who is just a _friend_ of Ichigo's." Nel glared at Rukia when she said friend. "You haven't been conditioned to think Hollow's are all naturally evil."

"Hollow consume human souls." Rukia responded coolly.

"True. But they are all ruled by their hunger. Upper level Hollow like myself and other Vasto Lorde can reason and use logic. We also survive by consuming other Hollow, rather than preying on humans." Nel countered. "Don't say it like there aren't any evil humans."

"She's actually got a point. Aizen and his buddies fit in with the Hollow, so why couldn't the reverse be true?" Tatsuki's words left Rukia and Renji with a lot to ponder.

Hitsugaya sheathed his sword as the last of the Arrancar fell. For just a few moments during their last furious exchange with the enemy, he had stopped watching his own back, and left it to Bard, trusting him like a comrade. He was slightly disturbed by his actions.

Little did he know that Bard had suffered the same relapse. He was aggravated that he had let himself behave like the shinigami captain was another Vasto Lorde whom he was fighting alongside.

Tempest was watching the two short figures, both sporting the same disgruntled expression. She had not failed to notice the way they had begun to fight as a pair rather than two individuals. There was the barest hint of a grin on her face as she led the way back to where the others were gathered.

Ichigo arrived to find the atmosphere between the shinigami and Hollow much more relaxed than before. It seemed that fighting together with them had eased a lot of the 'racial' tension between the two groups.

Rukia had looked up immediately when he arrived, before pinning him with an evil stare after taking in his injuries. He approached her quickly, not willing to be slobbered over by Nel. **(1)**

Tempest watched with interest as Rukia held her glowing hands over Ichigo's chest, using kido to heal his wounds. That strange look was in his eyes now, and Tempest was slowly beginning to understand what it was. It was a mixture of emotions that were all foreign to Hollow, no matter how evolved they were. Protectiveness was there in his eyes, and to a lesser extent hers too. In both of their eyes there was admiration and respect, but first and foremost, there was love. It was guarded, but it was there. Despite having to personal understanding of the wide array of emotions displayed by the two souls, Tempest knew that they had yet to admit it to themselves, much less each other. She let out a small chuckle, and Bard looked on in amazement at what had provoked such a reaction out of his normally stoic comrade.

Hitsugaya ignored Ichigo's injuries, and addressed the group. "We need to return to Sereitei, we have tarried here for too long." He turned to Nel. "We won't be revealing the presence of a camp here. No doubt Soul Society's sensors picked up the fights, so we will inform the Central 46 of our fight with the Arrancar." He paused as Ichigo got back up to his feet, having been fully healed by Rukia.

"The nobles controlling the Central 46 have plans for my friends and I." Ichigo told the three Hollow bluntly. He left them with a final warning. "The next time we see you, things could be vastly different."

Nel nodded, speaking seriously. "We share a common goal in destroying Aizen and his plans." Then a silly smile covered her face. She leapt at Ichigo, smothering him. "I'm gonna miss you Ichigo!!"

"Nel!! Can't breathe!!"

The green haired Arrancar kept up her assault, and Tempest gave a small bow to the rest of them, while Bard nodded his head at Hitsugaya.

"See you when we see you." Bard turned and walked away, back to the canyon with Tempest following him.

Rukia finally succeeded in separating Ichigo from Nel, and was currently engaged in a staring contest with the other woman. Sparks were flying from where their gazes met, and Ichigo was looking extremely nervous.

Hitsugaya shook his head at their antics. "Unlock!" He thrust his sword into the air before him.

The second the gate opened, Ichigo gathered Rukia up in his arms and made a mad dash for it, shouting as he went.

"Good to see you again Nel, can't wait till next time!"

A second later he was through the gate, Rukia trailing curses at his method of transport behind them. Nel waved cheerfully and set off after Tempest and Bard as Renji, Tatsuki and Toushirou stepped through the gate.

It closed and shimmered out of view behind them, and all was once again peaceful on the sands of Hueco Mundo.

**Griffin: A mythical creature, it has the body of a lion, and the wings and head of an eagle. **

**Centaur: Horse body, human torso. Pretty simple.**

**Minotaur: Bull head, human body. Always male. The Minotaur was a 'unique' mythical creature, the myth was that it lived in a labyrinth beneath the palace of Knossos. To appease it, sacrifices were sent down into the maze, usually people from neighbouring city-states as a tribute to Knossos. Legend went that if the Minotaur was angry, it would cause a nearby volcano to erupt. **

**1: Nel's drool has healing properties, Ichigo doesn't really appreciate being slobbered over though.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, even if it ran a bit longer than usual. Remember, review make me feel loved, and if I feel loved, I update sooner!**


	9. Real World Date

**Kagai means Assault, so Kagai 13 translates as Assault 13, which I'm pretending means 13 Assault Squads. Cause I'm too lazy to find out how to spell that. **

"Nakamura Sachike, 2nd Squad."

"Tanaka Hikari, 3rd Squad."

"Nakajima Hayato, 5th Squad."

"Hayashi Kaede, 9th Squad."

"Shimizu Kimiko, 10th Squad."

"We have summoned you all here today because the time has come for the five of you to begin your roles."

The three figures were, as always, cloaked in shadow, while those in front of them stood illuminated by several beams of light.

"The five of you have each performed services for us in the past, and each of you have been rewarded with your current positions. Positions as Captains of the Kagai 13."

The five shinigami before the Trinity controlling the Central 46 remained silent.

"For the next step, you each need to be aware of each others identity. Do you understand the roles you are to play?"

The five men and women nodded. They understood what was required of them.

"Good. You will be installed in your new positions within a day. Are there any questions?"

Shimizu Kimiko, the most youthful looking of the five spoke in a respectful tone. "I was under the impression that 6 would be replaced in the first move, not 10."

"That was our intention." One of the three figures replied. "But Hitsugaya-taicho's recent actions in usurping 12's position on the Hueco Mundo expedition have forced us to remove him ahead of time. Added to that, 6's apparent indifference to the safety of one of the targets during her attempted execution may lead the nobility to disassociate him with his sister. We cannot risk a miscalculation this early."

Kimiko nodded, satisfied with her answer.

"That is all. Return to your quarters and await your summons. You shall take your positions on the Gotei 13 before the sun sets tomorrow."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Rukia, please take a seat."

Rukia sat somewhat apprehensively before her superior, Ukitake Joushirou. She had been officially summoned to her Captain's office, a formality that Ukitake usually didn't bother with.

It was early-very early-on the Monday after their mission to Hueco Mundo, and all appeared to have run smoothly. Renji and Tatsuki had each returned to their own Divisions after returning to Soul Society. Rukia had sent Ichigo back to the living world rather savagely after the way he carried her through the Dangai, and then proceeded to insist on accompanying them during the report on their mission to the Central 46. Needless to say, both Rukia and Toushirou felt that things would run more smoothly without the loud Substitute.

The members of Room 46 had seemed to accept Hitsugaya's version of events, not even questioning Rukia. They had praised them on dispatching such a large number of Arrancar and dismissed them.

Now, two days later, Rukia was wondering why she had been called to see her captain.

"You must be wondering why you've been called to see me so formally." Ukitake smiled at her from his position at the other side of the table.

"Yes taicho."

"You remember you asked me several days ago about the possibility of leave in the living world."

Rukia blinked, remembering the conversation with Ichigo that had brought it up. She smiled at the memory of Ichigo attempting to ask her on a date.

"Yes, Ukitake-sensei. I remember." Rukia replied.

"Well, in light of your recent actions during your mission to Hueco Mundo, I pulled some strings and fixed it so that you have a day to spend in the real world. Today, in fact."

Rukia lost her voice for several moments. "Th-thank you Ukitake-sensei!"

He smiled gently. "I don't believe anyone in the living world has been informed of this yet." Ukitake didn't need to mention Ichigo by name. "However, I did mention it to your brother, and he said something about making arrangements to use the personal Kuchiki gate."

"Thank you Ukitake-sensei!" Rukia repeated, bowing low. She was on her feet and out the door into the pre-dawn mist before he could speak another word.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo chewed on his toast thoughtfully. His sister Karin had brought something called Vegemite back with her when the family (minus Ichigo) had visited Australia during the last school holidays. He and Karin quickly became addicted to it, despite the disgust Isshin and Yuzu had for the black paste.

He leaned back on his chair, swinging on its back two legs as he polished off the Vegemite covered toast. He stared balefully at Karin as she attacked the jar of Vegemite with a spoon. **(A/N: Any Aussies reading will know just how bad that would taste)**

Ichigo shuddered. "You know I like the stuff, but that's just going too far."

Karin looked at him as she slowly licked the spoon clean. "Deal with it." She grinned.

He shook his head. "I'm off. See you after school. Yuzu, Dad." He waved to his sister and father as he passed them. Yuzu waved from the kitchen and his father nodded from his position in the clinic.

Ichigo hefted his bag on his shoulder, bracing himself for another long day at school learning a large amount of information he would probably never need again. He strolled along the path that ran by the river, taking his time in getting to school.

"You know, if you keep dragging your feet like that, you're going to be late to school."

Ichigo looked around, a small grin spreading across his face. "Rukia!"

The small shinigami hopped down from her perch atop a nearby wall on one of the houses that lined the river. "I've got the day off. What're your plans for the day?" She asked playfully.

"I was going to school, but it can go hang for all I care." His grin spread wider. "What do you want to do?"

"The first thing I want is for you to get out of your body."

Ichigo hurriedly withdrew a screaming Kon from his school bag, ignoring his cries about his precious Nee-san, before dragging the gikongan from its throat and swallowing it.

"Go to school and act normal, Ok?" Ichigo instructed. "And no perverted looks, comments, don't grab any girls, and just....just don't act like your normal self. If you do, I'll have Ishida sow a dress onto you and give you to Yuzu to play with."

Kon nodded nervously before taking off at a near sprint towards the school campus.

"Now, what was the second thing you wanted?" Ichigo was smirking now.

"ShoppingmallsaleChappybunnyyoubuyme!"

Ichigo found himself being dragged roughly in the general direction of a nearby shopping centre. By the ear. He decided to grin and bear it, not wanting to upset the hyperactive good mood Rukia was in. On their way to the mall, they made a quick pit stop.

"Urahara! Get out here!" Rukia bellowed at the top of her lungs from the outside of the Shoten's front doors.

There was a crash, a cuss word, and something that sounded very similar to a cat hissing. A dishiveled looking Urahara opened the door a fraction. He was missing his hat, as well as the dark over robe he usually wore.

"Can I help you Miss Kuchiki?" He seemed somewhat grumpy, as if he had been interrupted.

"You have the two Gigai I ordered earlier?" Rukia demanded.

Urahara's eyebrow twitched. He closed the door quickly, and a few seconds later some more rummaging was heard.

"Hurry up and get back here to finish what you started Kisuke!"

Rukia glanced at Ichigo. "That sounded like Yoruichi-san...."

Ichigo considered Urahara's appearance, and the hissing sound he had heard earlier. He shuddered. "I really don't think I want to know."

The door in front of them was roughly shoved open again, before two bodies were hurled out of it.

"There! Take them! Please come again!" Urahara shouted hurriedly before rushing away again. He neglected to close the door, and Ichigo and Rukia could make out a pair of long, tanned legs through another door in the shop. They didn't appear to have any clothing on them. The two of them blushed brightly and turned away when they saw Urahara rush through the open door and heard feminine giggling.

They examined the bodies that had been thrown at them. They resembled the two of them, but at the same time could be mistaken for someone else. Ichigo's gigai was clothed in tan three-quarter pants and a black shirt, while Rukia's was dressed in a denim skirt that reached just above her knees and a light blue button up top that was tucked into the skirt They sunk into the bodies.

"Woah. Feels weird." Ichigo rolled his arms in an attempt to ease out the stiffness in the gigai's shoulders.

"You'll get used to it." Rukia replied sagely. Then she brightened again. "Now let's go to Chappy!"

Twenty minutes later they were walking hand in hand down the centre of the shopping complex. It had taken Ichigo five minutes to consider the idea, and then another five to build up the courage to actually grab her hand and hold it in his own. The smile she had given him when he did it was worth it though.

"So where's this sale?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia frowned. "You know...I'm not sure."

Ichigo closed his eyes. "Ok...so how do you plan on finding it?"

"We'll stumble across it eventually." She replied sunnily. "Don't worry. We can have fun while we look for it."

Ichigo grumbled for a moment, before spotting something that took his mind off the dreaded Chappy sale. "Hey look, ice-cream." He pointed at a vendor stand selling ice cream cones. They approached the young woman running the stand.

"Hello, what can I do for you today?" She greeted cheerfully. Her name tag read 'Rachel'.

Rukia began to make her selection, and Ichigo dug around in his pockets for his wallet, before realizing that he wasn't in his real body. He was surprised when his hand came into contact with something leather. He pulled it out and discovered a bunch of notes bound together with a thick rubber band.

"I'll have two serves of strawberry ice-cream please." Rukia told the woman politely.

Ichigo tried to frown at her choice of dessert, but failed. He settled for a light scowl. "I'll have plain vanilla, and plenty of hot fudge topping if you have it."

While Rachel prepared their orders, Ichigo deposited a number of notes in a small plastic container, paying for the ice cream. Rukia smiled her thanks, but Ichigo raised his eyebrow and mouthed the word 'Strawberry'. Rukia giggled softly and slipped her hand into his own again.

They accepted their orders and separated their hands, somewhat reluctantly, in order to eat them. Ichigo ran his head over the ways they could spend their day off.

"Movie? Arcade? Ferris wheel?" Ichigo listed off.

Rukia licked her spoon clean after swallowing a scoop of ice cream, considering. "All. Let's do the movie first."

They made their way to the movie theatre, quickly demolishing their ice cream. Ichigo found himself in high spirits, enjoying the way that her hand molded into his own. His good mood lasted all the way to the cinema, where an unpleasant surprise awaited him.

_Oh god no..._was all he could think.

"Ichigo! Please?" Rukia pouted at him.

Damn. He couldn't hope to win against that pout.

Ichigo dragged his feet towards the ticket booth, Rukia literally glowing beside him. He placed his money on the counter.

"Two tickets to Chappy the Rabbit: The Musical please..."

The clerk looked at him and his overly happy girlfriend, shaking his head sympathetically. "Hope you make it out alive, man." He pushed two tickets across the counter.

Ichigo took the tickets and straightened his back, taking on the air of a man marching to his execution. "Alright Rukia. Let's go."

"We've got to get sweets first!" Rukia dragged him over to the candy counter, quickly pointing out what she wanted.

Ichigo paid for two medium drinks and a large popcorn. He also grabbed a bag of strawberry creams, not missing the look that Rukia gave him when he did. It manged to make him feel a little better about the movie.

They flashed their tickets at the usher, who chuckled at the forlorn look on Ichigo's face and the happy one on Rukia's. She pointed out the cinema the movie was being shown in, and they made their way through the doors and up the stairs, finding seats at the very back and in the corner.

Ichigo glanced around. The cinema was absolutely packed at the front, filled with toddlers and small children and their parents. The crowd thinned out in the middle, and was mostly middle school girls who had come in a group. At the very back there were couples like Ichigo and Rukia, the blokes looking stumped as to how they had gotten themselves into the situation, the chicks with their arms wrapped around them happily.

The lights dimmed, and the opening credits rolled. Ichigo decided to make the movie a bit more bearable, and lifted the arm rest between himself and Rukia, before pulling her body closer to his own and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She made a contented sound and snuggled in closer.

The next hour and a half was one of mixed feelings for Ichigo. On one hand, it was almost unbearable to watch a heroic rabbit serenading the evil Dr. Porkchop about how it was going to put an end to his evil ways. On the other hand, when Rukia ran her hand along his thigh and settled her head on his chest, he really couldn't have cared less about the epic battle between the heroic rabbit and the traitorous hare.

At the end of the movie, Ichigo and Rukia trailed out along with the rest of the movie goers, blinking in the sunlight. Ichigo deposited their rubbish in one of the bins as Rukia stretched her arms.

"Arcade or search for the sale?" Ichigo asked, watching her stretch. Even in her gigai she looked graceful.

"Arcade." She decided. "We can look for the sale on the way."

"Boo ya! Take that Ichigo!!" Rukia jumped up and down as the puck flew into the goal at Ichigo's end of the table. He stepped away from the air hockey table shaking his head.

"You've played this game before." He accused.

"Nope. First time." Rukia poked her tongue at him.

"Fine..." Another game caught his eye. "Let's try that one!"

They had been in the arcade for close to two hours, and had made a significant dent in the bundle of notes in Ichigo's wallet. After Rukia discovered that you won tickets that could be redeemed for prizes, she had put her all into the games. Ichigo had a sneaking suspicion that she was aiming for a large rabbit looking creature on the top shelf.

Ichigo slid some of the tokens he had purchases into the next machine, closing the curtain around the game. He pulled the plastic gun out of the holster and prepared himself. Rukia had also drawn her weapon and was waiting patiently for the game to start.

The words _House of the Dead_ scrawled across the screen, and the two shinigami prepared themselves for a marathon of blasting zombies and rescuing scientists.

Ichigo watched in amazement as the tickets continued to spew out of the game in front of them. They had been completely caught up in the game, spending over an hour on it. As the tickets finally came to an end, Rukia gathered them up possessively and Ichigo eyed the screen, waiting for the high scores. The top position blinked. _Please enter your names_.

Ichigo grinned and Rukia threw her arms around him, reveling in their success at the game. You'd have thought they'd just won the lottery.

Rukia rushed off to claim her rabbit, while Ichigo entered their name in the high score. _Deathberry._ He paused, before adding _Forever_ at the end of it. He then sauntered out to join Rukia at the counter.

He frowned when he saw Rukia with her shoulders slumped in front of the counter. He walked up beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"What's up?"

"Someone else won the Chappy..."

Ichigo scowled at the guy manning the counter, as if it was his fault that someone had won it. He quailed under Ichigo's fierce gaze. Something else on the prize rack caught his eye.

"That one." Ichigo shoved his own tickets at the clerk, pointing at the prize that had caught his eye. The clerk hurried to get it down, not even bothering to count Ichigo's tickets.

"Here." Ichigo held the toy in front of Rukia, allowing her to examine it.

It was a mouse-like creature, with orange hair, and it was dressed in some sort of black robe. Rukia laughed at its resemblance to Ichigo and tucked it under her arm. She stepped up to the counter, browsing for something that could match the doll. She saw it and smiled, shoving all of her tickets onto the counter, indicating what she wanted.

Ichigo ran his eyes over the top shelf, wondering what was up there that Rukia could want. He didn't see her point at an item close to the bottom shelf, but he did notice the slightly lecherous look the pimply faced clerk gave her. Ichigo sent him a glare that would've peeled paint, and the man returned to his nervous state. Ichigo watched as the clerk retrieved a pair of handcuffs that were lined with blue velvet. He raised his eyebrow at Rukia.

"What? I can think of a few fun things we could do with them." Rukia gave him a sexy smile that caused his heart to just about give out.

The clerk handed the handcuffs to Ichigo in a plastic bag. Going by the weight they were actual steel. Ichigo held the bag open so that Rukia could drop the doll he had won for her in. He looked at the watch on his wrist as they left the arcade. It was after two in the afternoon. Rukia took his other hand, and Ichigo realized with a start that he was still wearing his reiatsu sealing ring. It must have stayed with him as he left his own body and entered the gigai.

"Ferris wheel?" Rukia's question dragged him back to the present.

"Sounds like a good way to end the day." He flashed Rukia a quick grin. "Considering there was never a Chappy sale to begin with."

Rukia ducked her head guiltily. "How'd you figure it out?"

Ichigo snorted. "If there was a Chappy sale you'd never have waited to get to it." He snorted again. "And there wasn't nearly enough cash in that wallet to pay for the day we've had and all the Chappy merchandise you would have bought."

"Are you mad?" Rukia asked in a small voice.

Ichigo was shocked. "What? Of course not!" He shook his head disbelievingly. "This has been the best day I've had since we—since ages."

Rukia met his eyes with a sly gleam in her own. "Oh? Best day since when?"

Ichigo mumbled something.

"Sorry, what was that? I couldn't quite hear you." Rukia said wickedly.

"I said it's been the best day since we went shopping and you modeled those bikini's for me." He said in a rush. Rukia turned pink at the praise.

They continued walking towards the ferris wheel that they could see rising over the buildings in silence. When they were almost there, Rukia remembered something.

"Oh, that bikini I ordered."

"Yeah?" Ichigo was curious.

"I had one delivered to your house. It should be in your closet by now." Rukia turned pink again.

Ichigo leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her neck. "Maybe you should try it out when we get back."

Rukia felt goosebumps rise on her skin where Ichigo's warm breath had tickled her neck. "Maybe I should." She replied flirtatiously.

Ichigo paid the fare, and they climbed into a carriage on their own. Rukia smiled at the look the elderly operator gave the pair of them when Ichigo held out his hand for Rukia to hold as she stepped into the carriage.

The fading afternoon sun hit Rukia's face as their carriage rose, literally stopping Ichigo's breath in his chest. She seemed so alive in that moment, so full of vitality that Ichigo felt a burning need surge up inside him.

Rukia turned to face him fully when he placed a finger under her chin, drawing her in close. Without hesitation, without fear of rejection or any sign of nervousness, Ichigo placed his lips on her own, savouring the taste that was uniquely her. He was almost surprised when Rukia responded with a passion, sliding her tongue over his lips like a whip of fire. He felt her finger trace his jawline and her other hand grab a fistful of his hair, as his own hands supported her head and trailed down her back.

Panting for breath, they both pulled apart, leaving their arms wrapped around each other. There was a knock on the window of the carriage, and they realized that they had been locked together for far longer than they had thought. Blushing, the two of them stepped out of the carriage, avoiding the knowing smile of the elderly operator once again. His wife, standing beside him, also had a knowing smile on her face. Ichigo and Rukia left the ferris wheel with their bag of prizes from the arcade, heading for home.

Ichigo knocked on the door of the Urahara Shoten. "Oi, Urahara! We've got your bodies for you!"

The door of the shop opened, revealing a properly dressed Urahara, complete with fan and hat. "Thank you, Kurosaki-san, Kuchiki-san." He flicked the fan in front of his face. "I've got something to tell you too. Please come inside."

Ichigo and Rukia followed the eccentric man inside his shop, wondering what he wanted to tell them. Knowing Urahara, it wouldn't be good.

The three of them sat down at the round table in the back room. Yoruichi was already perched on a window sill in her cat form.

"Hello, Ichigo, Rukia." The masculine voice came out.

"Hey, Yoruichi-san." Ichigo replied, while Rukia nodded. "What did you want to tell us, Urahara-san?"

"The Central 46 want to see you. They have their next mission for you."

Ichigo blinked in surprise. "Why are you the one telling us this? Wouldn't they summon us all official-like if they wanted to see us?"

"They are not yet ready for you to come to Sereitei, Kurosaki-san. They are planning, scheming, and for you to be there now would make things more awkward for them."

"So, you want us to go there now and shake them up a bit?" Ichigo grinned. He would always take any opportunity to upset the Central 46.

"Yes. It would be to our advantage if you went there now, and carried out the mission they will have for you and Miss Kuchiki, as well as your friends Arisawa and Abarai."

Ichigo rose, offering his hand to Rukia. "Say no more." There were a pair of thumps as their bodies fell to the floor, leaving Ichigo and Rukia standing in their soul forms. "We'll be back before you know it."

They made to leave, but Urahara wasn't finished yet. "Ichigo...when you return to the living world, please come straight here, no matter who is with you."

Ichigo frowned at the use of his first name. Urahara never addressed him like that. Shinji's earlier warning, combined with Urahara's weirder-than-normal behaviour, was putting Ichigo on edge. Rukia felt his hand tightening around her own.

Rukia nodded. "We understand, Urahara-san." She led Ichigo out of the shop, and Urahara and Yoruichi felt the opening of the portal to Soul Society.

Yoruichi fixed Urahara with a golden eye. "You haven't told anyone the full story."

Urahara sighed, the weight of his decisions showing clearly. "They may hate me for it, but these events have to occur. It is the only way to avoid a civil war within Sereitei."

"I hope you know what you're doing...Kisuke."


	10. Betrayal

**Remember the plan that the rulers of the C46 came up with **_**waaaaaaaaaaaay**_** back in Chapter 3? Hehe, here it is...finally. Written while listening to "When the World Ends" by Dave Matthew's Band, remixed by Oakenfold.**

Ichigo and Rukia stepped through the Senkei gate and out into the large courtyard in Sereitei. Ichigo slipped off his reiatsu eating ring and placed it in his pocket, allowing his reiatsu to rise. Rukia raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Urahara-san wanted them to know we're here. This is as good a way as any to announce our presence." Ichigo shrugged.

"What should we do in the meantime?" Rukia questioned.

Ichigo eyed her mischievously. "A little kitty told me you were trying to achieve Bankai."

"She did, did she?" Rukia eyed him disapprovingly.

"We could always go train..." Ichigo suggested.

Rukia grinned. "I like that idea." Then her expression turned stern. "But only if you promise not to hold back and hide behind some stupid excuse like 'you could never try to hurt me'." Her eyes shone dangerously.

"Only if don't hold back."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A figure was stretched out leisurely on a comfortable couch, reading a book in a room illuminated by sunlight, overlooking Sereitei.

A messenger with a black veil obscuring their face appeared kneeling in front of the figure. They made no motion that they had registered the appearance of the messenger.

"Lady Murasaki, I come bearing news."

Lady Murasaki nodded once and turned a page in her book.

"The Substitute Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo, and Vice-Captain of the 13th Squad, Kuchiki Rukia, have returned to Soul Society ahead of time." The messenger continued.

Lady Murasaki turned another page in her book, considering the information. "Thank you." She had the voice of a young woman.

The messenger left immediately following the dismissal, having never once looked at the Lady's face.

"Kurosaki, Kuchiki...." Murasaki mused. "Urahara." Her tone became hard. She knew very well that the eccentric shinigami was one of her most dangerous foes, and that he was the one responsible for the early return of the two shinigami. Fool. He must be merely sniffing at the edges, if the early return of the pair was all the resistance he could muster. If he were truly aware of their plans, he would not allow loyal officers of the Gotei 13 to be subjected to Hollowfication. If the succeeded in turning the four of them in the middle of Sereitei, they would go on a rampage...before being stopped by dedicated members of the Kagai 13. The devastation caused would throw doubt and mistrust on all those associated with the four responsible, shattering their little coalition. The last obstruction to the Trinity's influence would be gone.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo and Rukia danced around each other, each seeking that opening or moment of hesitation that would give them the chance to slip past their opponents guard and draw first blood. Rukia had almost taken his arm off on the first swing, demonstrating a speed that Ichigo was completely unprepared for. She had given him a wicked smile.

"_I _have_ just spent a week training with Yoruichi-san, Ichigo."_

Ichigo had given his full focus over to the fight, wielding Zangetsu with uncharacteristic finesse. He might as well have been wielding a fencing saber, the precision that he was making his cuts with. Regardless of his precision or finesse, he just couldn't put a scratch on Rukia. She was just too small. Every time he came close to trapping her with his movements, she would duck or twist out of the way. Sode no Shirayuki was released, and Ichigo could feel the coolness of the blade in its quest to cut him.

Rukia was becoming frustrated. No matter how hard she pressed her attack, she couldn't pierce Ichigo's guard. Even with her recent training under Yoruichi, she, who was supposed to be _his_ mentor, still couldn't measure up against him. Rukia felt her frustrations and insecurities boiling under her skin. She was a powerful shinigami in her own right. She would not have anyone dismiss her power.

There was a large crowd, mainly comprised of 13th Division squad members, with a scattering of other squads mixed in as well. The crowd had been drawn by the fluctuating spirit pressure's of the two when they began to duel, as they were not bothering to keep it in. Ukitake had been drawn out, along with Kyouraku Shunsui and his lieutenant Ise Nanao, as well as a drunk Matsumoto Rangiku who had presumably been drinking with Kyouraku. The two Captain's drew closer to discuss the fight.

"Kuchiki's keeping him on the back foot, isn't she?" Kyouraku asked.

"They are both fighting very seriously, more seriously than I would have thought they'd be willing too." Ukitake agreed. "But Ichigo's style is most effective when used in a life or death situation, and he is being forced to carefully evaluate each strike he makes."

The two of them continued to watch the fight closely, although Kyouraku had one eye on Matsumoto, who appeared to be attempting to flirt with Nanao in her drunken state. He made another comment to Ukitake.

"She seems to be stretching for something. Has she been doing any Bankai training lately?"

Ukitake smiled proudly. "She spent the whole week before her mission to Hueco Mundo training with Yoruichi. It's had a visible effect on her speed and endurance."

More shinigami were being drawn to the 13th Division training fields, word having spread about the duel between two war heroes. Renji and Tatsuki arrived in a blur of Shunpo, not wanting to miss the fight between their two friends.

The fight escalated, both fighters using more and more techniques in their arsenal. Rukia delivered a particularly powerful blow, following it up with a kick to the head that Ichigo had not been expecting. Ichigo stumbled back several metres, giving Rukia the space she needed.

"Tsugi no mae...Hakuren!"

Ichigo responded instinctively, and a wordless Getsuga Tenshou sped to meet the avalanche of ice and snow that erupted from Rukia's zanpukutou. The impact threw dirt and debris up all over the field, obscuring the two fighters from the spectator's view. When the dust cleared, it was apparent who was the victor.

Ichigo stood behind Rukia with his arms around her body, his blade poised beneath her chin. Rukia's own sword was reversed and aimed at Ichigo's gut, but was too far away to call the fight a draw.

"Dammit..." Rukia breathed as she dropped out of her stance. She could hear cheers for her coming from her subordinates, and shook her head. She had lost.

_You may have lost in your mind, but there are few lieutenants capable of facing that man on equal footing, let alone pushing him. You did well, Rukia._

Rukia smiled as she listened to Shirayuki's words of praise. Her next words almost stopped Rukia in her tracks.

_Strength-wise, you are ready for me to reveal your Bankai to you. The only thing keeping it from you now is the conflict in your heart. Absolve this conflict, and I will show you your Bankai._

_What is my conflict, Shirayuki? Tell me, please!_

But Shirayuki was silent.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"That was amazing Rukia! You had Ichigo sweating with just your Shikai!"

Tatsuki was enthusiastically recounting the parts of their fight that she had witnessed while Renji had his arm around her waist. Rukia was glowing at the praise, while Ichigo was being Ichigo and grumbling about it, even though his three friends could clearly tell he was proud of Rukia.

The four of them were kicking back on a grassy knoll near the training grounds, enjoying the cool wind and clear sky. Rukia had filled Renji and Tatsuki in on Urahara's advice, including the request he had made of Ichigo after giving it. Neither of them were sure on what to make of it, but Renji had suggested that Rukia send a hell butterfly to her brother informing him of the developments. Byakuya had replied immediately, telling her that he had requested two Captain's to follow them on their next assignment. Apparently Urahara had contacted him and told him to keep clear of the upcoming mission, but had suggested that he might want to talk to Soi Fon and Hitsugaya if he had any concerns. The continually cryptic advice had been irritating to a man like Byakuya, to say the least, but upon talking to the two Captain's suggested, he had discovered that they had also received 'advice' from Urahara, telling them to accept whatever Byakuya asked of them. It was becoming clear that Urahara was scheming, and playing a dangerous game, but they all trusted the man enough to do as he 'advised'.

Tatsuki's blow-by-blow of the fight was cut off by the appearance of another Hell Butterfly floating towards them. Rukia held out her finger, allowing it to land, and a frown appeared on her face. It was quickly smoothed off. She stood.

"We have been requested by the Central 46. They have summoned us to their chambers with all available haste."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Welcome." Once again, the members of Room 46 spoke as one, their voices echoing in the large chamber.

"You have been summoned here today to receive a task." A figure raised their voice to be heard across the chamber.

Ichigo snapped at him. "You said that last time, now hurry up and tell us what you want done so we can hurry up and do it." With no Byakuya there to breathe down his neck, it seemed Ichigo was less inclined to keep his mouth shut.

Mutterings about his rude reply echoed across the room. Another figure raised their voice. "A recent discovery has been made regarding information on Aizen Sousuke."

Ichigo's head snapped towards the speaker, and three members in particular knew their trap was about to be sprung.

"What have you found out? Do you know where he is?" Ichigo demanded.

"No, we have no information regarding the traitors location." The newest speaker paused before continuing. "We have, however, discovered a hidden study within the 5th Division."

"How did you discover this study? If the Secret Mobile Corps had found it, it would have been reported to Soi Fon-taicho, and we would be having this conversation with the Captain-Commander." Tatsuki spoke up, not at all intimidated by the shadowy figures.

The speaker continued, ignoring Tatsuki's comment. "We have selected the four of you and one other to investigate the study for any possible traps or dangers. You will proceed immediately to the 5th Division captain's office to determine any threat that may be contained within."

Ichigo and Renji immediately ran over the possibilities of dangers within a room hidden by Aizen, and their reiatsu spiked slightly in anticipation. The women, however, kept their heads.

"Who is the fifth member of our party to be?" Rukia asked in a clear voice.

"Why, that would be me, dear Kuchiki." The voice sent chills down Rukia's spine.

The four of them turned to face the speaker, taking in his creepy visage. Kurotsuchi Mayuri rubbed his hands together eagerly and smiled. "I am rather anxious to get my hands on any specimens I may find during our investigation of Aizen's chambers."

Ichigo met his stare head on, daring him to look away. The 12th Division captain's gaze dropped, incapable of meeting the powerful warrior's eyes, but not before Rukia saw something in his eyes.

Mayuri had looked at Ichigo like he did his experiment subjects.

"We will leave at once." Somehow, Rukia's voice was steady.

The three figures indulged themselves, and allowed their emotions to show on their faces. Arrogance, greed, and savage enjoyment. Their trap had been baited and set, and the victims were now on their way. All that was left was for it to be sprung.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Four shinigami appeared in the 5th Division courtyard, and were quickly followed by a fifth. Mayuri glared at the four lower ranked shinigami as he panted slightly from the exertion. He straightened.

"The area has been cleared, so that anything we discover will not have the chance to harm innocent bystanders." Mayuri proclaimed.

Renji shot him a suspicious look. Since when had he been concerned about innocent bystanders?

Mayuri led the way into the main compound, expecting the others to follow. As soon as he was out of sight, Tatsuki suddenly caught sight of her captain in a corner of shadow that she had been staring at since she arrived. Soi Fon nodded once to her before concealing her reiatsu once more.

Ichigo and Renji led the way after Mayuri, keeping an eye on their surroundings. It seemed eerie, and somehow haunted without anyone in what should have been a bustling compound. Ichigo saw a head of white hair following stealthily on one of the nearby buildings rooftops, and felt better knowing Toushirou was there. Not that he would ever admit to that, of course.

Mayuri waited for them at the door to Aizen's room. "There are two entrances to the hidden study. One is through the bookcase in Aizen's main office. The other is through the Vice-Captains office. The four of you will enter through Aizen's office." He glared, as if daring them to argue. He turned and stalked in the direction of the Vice-Captain's office.

The four shinigami drew their zanpukutou, ready for any attack. They entered the room, eyes searching for the bookcase. Ichigo motioned for the others to cover him, as he placed the blade of Zangetsu between a small crack in the middle of the bookcase. He levered the two separate sections apart, and was surprised when they slid open easily, as if they had been used recently. There was darkness on the other side of the door.

"Rukia." Ichigo whispered. "Light."

Rukia nodded, summoning a glowing red ball in the palm of her hand. Tatsuki mirrored her actions. Tatsuki released her zanpukutou wordlessly when the light from the two women's kido revealed a winding stair case. They stepped onto the staircase and began to descend, and almost immediately their hair was set on end. They each felt a feeling of danger and dread, but could not place it. Ichigo led the way, Tatsuki right behind him, utilizing the enhanced sensing skills that her zanpukutou gave her. Renji was next, prepared to spring at the slightest provocation, and Rukia was bringing up the rear, guarding their backs against any possible threat that might be sprung by their passing.

They quickly reached the bottom of the staircase. Ichigo paused before another door, estimating that they were thirty metres beneath the surface. "I'm going in first. Once I'm in, wait for a moment before you follow. We don't want to all be stuck in here if it's a trap."

Tatsuki, Renji and Rukia all nodded. Ichigo took a deep breath and flung the door open wide, springing into the room with his blade held defensively in front of him.

It was a lab. A large, fully equipped lab. Many of the instruments looked as if they hadn't been touched for years, but several crates showed evidence of recent use. One wall was completed lined with reflective glass.

"**King, what the fuck is going on?" **Hichigo's voice was loud, panicked, with no trace of the laziness that characterized him these days.

"_Hichigo, what is it?" _Ichigo replied frantically. His head snapped left and right. Something was wrong. The air seemed _evil_.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" Renji called out, his voice terse. "Tatsuki, let's move in."

"**Queen is in danger, Queen is in danger, QUEEN IS IN DANGER!!" **Hichigo _screamed_ at Ichigo from within his head.

Ichigo's head snapped towards Rukia, who was about to enter the chamber after Renji.

"**DON'T LET HER IN HERE!!" **

Too late. Rukia saw Ichigo's horrified look as his head snapped towards her, and her stomach flipped at the thought that something was wrong. She stepped into the chamber, taking two quick strides to his side.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" Renji and Tatsuki were also looking at Ichigo curiously. They had a vague feeling of unease, but nothing on the level Ichigo was displaying.

"_Hichigo, what is it?"_ Ichigo repeated his thought desperately.

"**Too late. Queen and the others will be like us soon."** He sounded dull. **"If she survives, that is."**

"_Be like us? What--"_

Ichigo's thought was cut off by a blood curdling scream. He looked over in horror to see Renji on his knees, zanpukutou discarded, clutching at his face, Tatsuki crouching beside him. A white substance was flowing from his mouth, covering his face. Tatsuki screamed again and demanded for Renji to get up, but was interrupted when the same white substance on Renji's face erupted from from her own mouth and left eye. She fell to the ground, her zanpukutou clattering to the ground from her hand.

"Hmmm, so this is Hollowfication, is it? I have been so very curious..."

Ichigo turned, savage rage boiling through his soul. Kurotsuchi Mayuri stood on the other side of the reflective glass, now clear. Ichigo set himself to charge at the deranged man.

"Oh, don't bother with any last ditch heroics. The wall behind me is made of Sekki stone, and its aura extends to cover this glass. You can't damage it." Mayuri observed disinterestedly. "Now if you don't mind, do you think you could submit to the Hollowfication gas in there with you? I'm in a hurry to get the four of you into my lab."

Hollowfication gas. The same gas that had turned Shinji, Kensei, Rose, Love, Hachigen, Lisa, Hiyori, Mashiro. The gas that had turned them into Vaizard.

Mayuri was in on it. And if Mayuri was in on it, that meant the cause was--

Oh, how they would pay. The Central 46 would regret forcing this fate on his friends, and--

"**King, as much as I like this side of you, now isn't the time."**

"_**Hichigo is right. Ichigo, you must focus on protecting your nakama. Once they are safe, then, and only then, can you can plot vengeance."**_

The combined words of Zangetsu and Hichigo focused him, brought him back to the problem at hand. Ichigo turned....and his world shook.

Rukia was on her knees, half her face covered in her still forming Hollow mask. Ichigo's attention was diverted when he saw Renji rise to his feet...and look at him with blood red, glowing eyes. Ichigo dimly heard Mayuri cackling in the background.

Renji's mask wrapped around his head, leaving only his ponytail visible. The lower portion extended down, guarding his throat, in a similar appearance to a frill on an ancient dinosaur. There were three small horns at the top of his mask, the outside two deepest black and the middle being bright red and the largest. Three red lines ran from his left eye down the mask.

Renji gave a Hollow roar, before gathering a still changing Tatsuki up in his arms and _exploding_ through the roof and out into the skies of Sereitei. Ichigo cursed, before picking up Rukia and following through the tunnel Renji had made to the surface. No way in hell was he leaving Rukia down here with the madman.

Mayuri blinked as Ichigo took off with the last research specimen. Well, that wasn't how things were supposed to happen. He mused as to why the Kurosaki boy wasn't succumbing to the effects of the gas. Maybe his reiatsu level had something to do with it? He shook his head. Whatever the case, he wasn't stupid enough to leave the safety of his bunker until the four of them had been subdued by the Squads that were even now being drawn to the location by the Hollow reiatsu that was being thrown around wildly.

Ichigo made it to the surface with Rukia still in his arms, finding Hitsugaya and Soi Fon facing off against Renji, who still held Tatsuki to his chest.

"Ichigo...what..." Rukia whispered.

"Shhh. I'm going to fix this. I promise you, Rukia."

There was another Hollow roar, and Tatsuki got to her feet, her mask fully formed. It was rounded at the top, and tapered down into a point just past her chin. Two devils horns splayed out to the sides from the top of her mask, matched by two mean looking tusks at the chin. There was a maze of haphazard black lines that intersected with each other covering the mask itself, and Ichigo could see that they were shifting constantly. The eyes were slits, rather than the normal rounded shape.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!" Hitsugaya had decided he need his Shikai to deal with the two shinigami that had been taken over by their Hollow. Ichigo's eyes widened as he realized what would come next. First Renji, then Tatsuki, then...

"Rukia, I'm very sorry, and I will never do this again."

Rukia looked at him in confusion as her face twisted in a fresh wave of pain. Ichigo brought the shaft of Zangetsu down on the back of her head, knocking her out. The Hollowfication process slowed considerably.

"Soi Fon." Ichigo called. "Please. Take her to Yoruichi."

Renji and Tatsuki leapt at Hitsugaya, who was battling them with the full force of his Shikai. When Soi Fon saw the lack of effect it was having on them, she realized how little she would be able to help in this battle, short of killing them. She nodded curtly, taking Rukia's unconscious form in her arms before disappearing in a blur of Shunpo. Ichigo released a burst of reiatsu, gaining the attention of his Hollowed friends.

"Now...**Bankai**." Ichigo ground out.

Ichigo and Renji clashed with an almighty roar, as Hitsugaya doused Tatsuki in ice once more. They just seemed to absorb whatever damage Ichigo and Toushirou dealt out without breaking their stride. Hitsugaya felt himself being pushed back. He unleashed another wave of ice, hoping to slow the monstrous sixth seat down, but to no avail. Tatsuki burst through the still flowing ice, shocking Hitsugaya, before bringing her elbow down viciously on his head. The powerful captain dropped like a stone, as Tatsuki swooped in for the kill.

Four powerful shinigami appeared around the now in-ruins 5th Division compound, and Ichigo couldn't recognize any of them, but he was beyond caring. He had led his friends into that room, and now he was going to protect them from the consequences of his action. He held his hand up to his face...

Nakajima Hayato, 5th Squad Captain of the Kagai 13, an arrogant man who was more concerned with his personal appearance than his responsibilities looked at the remains of his soon to be headquarters in disgust, ignoring the battle occurring around it. With him was Tanaka Hikari, 3rd Squad, Hayashi Kaede, 9th Squad, and Shimizu Kimiko, 10th Squad. They watched impassively as Hitsugaya was smacked into the ground by the female Hollowfied shinigami.

"Looks like there won't be a need to discredit and demote the boy genius for you to get your position, Shimizu. Looks like he'll be dead." Hayato chuckled mirthlessly, and the young girl known as Shimizu glared at him.

"What is the Substitute doing? Is the gas finally having an effect on him?" Hayashi Kaede, a thin, stern looking old woman observed as she saw the orange haired shinigami raise a hand to his face.

Black and red reiatsu began to gather around Ichigo face. With a swift movement, he ripped his mask into existence, and prepared to face his nakama in battle. The air became heavy with the sheer power of this new reiatsu, and all those who could feel it shivered at the evilness of it.

Tanaka Hikari, an eccentric, brown haired man stroked his twin forked beard as he hummed erratically to himself. "It appears he has control over the Hollow powers. Strange." He went back to his humming.

The four of them decided to observe the fight, calculating that it would be easier to subdue and deliver the Hollow beings to Mayuri's lab once they were exhausted from battle.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Soi Fon blurred through the Senkei gate, not even bothering to stop to have her power sealed. Her task was too urgent to be slowed by such petty concerns. Even in her haste, she did not fail to sense the figure that was following behind her, despite their efforts to conceal themselves.

Once in the living world, Soi Fon wasted no time in heading for the Urahara Shoten. She would leave Rukia in his capable hands, deal with her pursuer, and return to Sereitei to help subdue the remaining threats. She landed in front of the dingy shop.

"Kisuke!" Soi Fon yelled. The door was opened swiftly, revealing Shihouin Yoruichi in full battle readiness. She took in the sight in Soi Fon's arms.

"Bring her in." Yoruichi ordered. Soi Fon entered the shop and placed Rukia on a mat that was already prepared, by the side of which Tessai was kneeling. He immediately began to work a kido over Rukia's unconscious form, and Soi Fon left the room.

"I have a pursuer. I will deal with him and then return to Sereitei to--"

Yoruichi cut her off with a wave of her hand. "You can't return to Sereitei now, Little Bee. That path is closed to you for as long as the Central 46 remains in power."

Soi Fon felt a small pang of sorrow at this news, but shook it off. Yoruichi-sama had planned this. She would put her trust in her. "Then I will deal with the pursuer and remain here and wait for Kurosaki to arrive with Lieutenant Abarai and Sixth Seat Arisawa."

Yoruichi smiled, and the two of them exited the Shoten to face Soi Fon's pursuer.

Nakamura Sachike, 2nd Squad Captain of the Kagai 13, the man who had followed Ichigo and Renji more than a week ago when they had encountered Grimmjow, waited nervously above the shop where he had followed the 2nd Squad Captain. He was confident in his zanpukutou's ability to hide his presence, but even the most confident shinigami will feel slightly nervous when they realize they are up against a figure as legendary as Shihouin Yoruichi. And so, when Soi Fon and Yoruichi exited the Shoten and looked directly at him, he prudently decided that discretion was the better part of valor and fled back to Soul Society, taking with him the information of where Kuchiki Rukia was located.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo darted around Renji and Tatsuki, inflicting blows at every chance he had. His opponents were slowing down, but were nowhere near finished. One blow from either of them in their current state would see him badly wounded. He hoped that Soi Fon had gotten Rukia safely to Urahara. If anyone could help her, it was him. Ichigo refused to consider the way the man had manipulated things seemingly for this exact outcome, determining to find answers later.

Ichigo released a wordless Getsuga, aiming at the ground and kicking up dust around him, hiding his location. He saw Renji and Tatsuki move so they were back to back. Even better. He began darting around, confusing their senses. He saw Toushirou begin to rise from the corner of his eye, but reserved his attention for the task at hand.

Hitsugaya rose slowly, taking care not to send himself back into unconsciousness. He watched as Ichigo began to Shunpo around his friends, who were now back to back. Hitsugaya realised that Ichigo was wearing his mask, and this realisation was accompanied by a certain knowledge that a delicate balance of power would be upset as a result of this fight.

Toushirou sheathed his sword and prepared himself for what he was about to attempt. He pointed the middle and index fingers of both hands at Renji and Tatsuki respectively, before shouting out. "Bakudou 61: Rikujyoukourou!"

Six rods of light slammed into each of them, and Ichigo knew this was his best chance. He sheathed his sword, charging a powerful pair of Bala, one in each hand, and surged towards his struggling friends. He slammed a fist into Renji's temple on his first pass, watching as he dropped like a stone, then made a second pass and repeated the process with Tatsuki. She too, collapsed.

"We've got to get them to Urahara. He's the only one who can fix this." Ichigo dissolved his mask, as the binding spell on his friends faded. He caught Tatsuki as her body fell, and felt her mask dig into his shoulders.

Hitsugaya nodded tersely. "I'll carry Abarai."

"Carry him where, exactly?"

Ichigo and Toushirou whirled to face the speaker who was flanked by three other shinigami, hands clenching the handle of their zanpukutou.

"Who are you?" Hitsugaya demanded.

"Oh, me? I'm just the soon to be 5th Squad Captain of the Gotei 13, and current 5th Squad Captain of the Kagai 13." He said in a superior tone. "The name's Nakajima Hayato. And I'll be the one who purifies these Hollow here." He swung his blade with blinding speed towards Tatsuki's neck, only to have it batted away by a slender, black blade.

"You're a dead man." Ichigo hissed viciously. Hayato was taken aback by the hatred in the threat.

They were interrupted by the arrival of a fifth shinigami.

"Ah, Sachike, what's there to report? Did you kill the two shinigami women you went after?"

Ichigo felt his gut tighten as he waited for an answer.

"No, I was repelled by Shihouin Yoruichi. But I managed to determine the location of their likely refuge, as well as the current location of Kuchiki Rukia. I have deployed squads with kill orders to that location."

There was a feral scream from Ichigo as he ripped his mask back on, and the five Kagai 13 captains faced him with true terror in their eyes. Seeing a being like an enraged Kurosaki Ichigo close up was not an experience that you could shake off.

Ichigo struck the air with his hand, forming a gaping Garganta portal. Hitsugaya wasted no time in grabbing Tatsuki in addition to Renji and bolting through.

Ichigo gazed at those who had presumed to do harm to his nakama, malice showing clearly in his eyes. He stepped backwards into the Garganta, leaving the Kagai 13 members with some very worrying knowledge.

They had fucked with the wrong Vaizard.

**Yeah, I enjoyed writing that. I've been wanting to write those scenes for ages, which is why you guys get this chapter so hot on the heels of the last one. Hope you enjoyed it, I tried to make it as awesome as possible. Please review and tell me what you think. **


	11. The Captain's Clash

**Review shoutouts to: ****Semigall****, ****staidwaters****, ****speaker4thesilent****, TAKCH1, ****Arcadia Silver****, TurquisePL, SeraphinaDonna and DarkJason. Thanks for the constructive and extra encouraging reviews.**

Ichigo stepped through the Garganta, feeling its yawning mouth close behind him. Hitsugaya was at his side, still supporting the unconscious forms of Renji and Tatsuki. The Vaizard and the Captain surveyed the battleground before them.

The were flames scattered around the area surrounding the Urahara Shoten, and there were numerous shinigami bodies littered around the landscape. Ichigo couldn't tell if they were dead or not, and truthfully, he didn't care. Yoruichi flickered into sight before them, her shoulders heaving slightly with exertion.

"Ichigo, get them to Kisuke, now!" Yoruichi barked at him. "Toushirou, the Kagai 13 Captains will be arriving here soon. We need your help to repel them!"

Hitsugaya handed his burdens to Ichigo, before taking off after Yoruichi. Neither man questioned her knowledge of the group that had confronted them in Sereitei. Ichigo barreled towards the door of the Shoten, kicking it in viciously in his haste to get his friends to Urahara.

"**Urahara**!"

Urahara looked up when he heard the double-layered voice call his name. "Lay them down." He said grimly.

Ichigo lay his friends on the mats on either side of Rukia's slight body. Rukia's mask was still a formless mass on her face, and Tessai had his palms together, a green light emitting from between them.

"Tessai, you know what to do?" Urahara asked authoritatively.

The large man nodded. "Yes, Manager."

"Ichigo, you need to pour out as much of your reiatsu as possible. You must find the balance between Hollow and Shinigami. Tessai is going to attempt to mold their reiatsu on yours." Urahara spoke swiftly, his voice showing none of his normal cheerfulness he displayed in the face of danger. He continued rapidly. "Without the Hogyoku, there is not even a sliver of a chance to reverse the Hollowfication process. The best we can do is stop it halfway."

Urahara stood, his haori that was a mockery of the Captain's cloak billowing behind him.

"Awake, Benihime!" He turned, no longer the eccentric mentor, but a shinigami cloaked in power who was not to be trifled with. "I will seal this room from the outside. The barrier can only be broken by those within."

"Good luck...Kurosaki-san."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hitsugaya and Soi Fon faced off against their Kagai 13 counter parts, their foes backed up by their fellow Captains and numerous ranked Kagai members. The loyal Gotei 13 Captains were supported by the intimidating figure of Shihouin Yoruichi, her presence alone enough to force their enemy to pause.

Hitsugaya glared at the young girl wearing the 10th Squad Captain haori. The haori identical to the one he was currently wearing. She had blonde hair that was done up in pigtails, and a pinched face. She appeared to be the same age as Toushirou. There was an air of spoiled sullenness about her.

"Shimizu Kimiko." She stuck out her tongue. "The woman who's gonna take your spot on the Gotei 13."

"Hitsugaya Toushirou." He glared at her. "Act your age, child."

Shimizu's face twisted with rage at being addressed as a child, and it appeared that she would attack Toushirou right then and there.

"Control yourself, and stop acting like the child you appear to be."

Shimizu glared at the speaker, before returning her gaze to Hitsugaya and flash stepping away. Hitsugaya followed quickly.

Soi Fon eyed the captain who had intervened with Shimizu, noting the haori that he wore. The man that had pursued her earlier from Soul Society was average to the point of forgettable. Medium length brown hair, clean shaven, standard shinigami robes. They exchanged a glance before flash stepping in the opposite direction that Hitsugaya and Shimizu had left in.

"Your comrades have abandoned you, Shihouin." One of the three remaining captains addressed Yoruichi. She was a thin, stern looking old woman. "What will you do now that you alone face three captain's of the Kagai 13, as well as twenty ranked squad members?"

Yoruichi rolled her head back and stretched her shoulders. "My, my. Looks like my reputation is being downtrodden in my absence." She looked at them, smiling a feral grin. "Shall I remind you?"

Yoruichi disappeared in a flash too fast to follow, bounding towards her foes. Hayashi Kaede, 9th Squad Captain of the Kagai 13, the woman who had addressed Yoruichi, whipped out her zanpukutou to defend herself from the expected onslaught. An onslaught that never came. A moment later Yoruichi reappeared in her previous position.

"Was that supposed to remind us of your speed?" Kaede raised her eyebrows, her harsh voice mocking. "It was a very pretty demonstration."

Kaede knew something was amiss when Yoruichi smiled like she alone was privy to some great joke and pointed behind them. Kaede turned and was momentarily speechless.

The twenty squad members that had accompanied them were all standing stock still, their faces twisted in expressions of pain. Their arms were twisted in unnatural positions, and it appeared that they had been paralyzed.

"What trick is this?" Kaede demanded. "Is this your zanpukutou's ability?"

Yoruichi chucked at her opponent's naivety. "No. That is just the careful application of force at key pressure points on the body." She chuckled again. "Don't worry, they won't die. They'll just be in a great amount of pain for the next fifteen minutes." She slipped into a fighting stance, preparing to use her body as the deadly weapon it was. "Now, do you think you can avoid that fate?"

Kaede and her two fellow captain's, Hikari and Hayato drew their blades, introducing themselves.

"Tanaka Hikari, 3rd Squad Captain."

"Nakajima Hayato, 5th Squad Captain."

"Hayashi Kaede, 9th Squad Captain." Kaede finished.

Yoruichi smiled, relishing the pause before the violence. She spoke one last time.

"Shihouin Yoruichi...Goddess of Flash."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hitsugaya stared evenly at his opponent. They faced each other over the river that ran through Karakura Town, but while Hitsugaya kept his composure, Shimizu did not. She continually shifted her weight from foot to foot, all the while glaring angrily at him as if he had done her some great wrong. Toushirou sighed deeply. Kids these days.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens...Hyourinmaru!" He released his shikai with a burst of reiatsu, determined not to underestimate his foe.

Shimizu continued glaring at him, harder if anything. "Screech, Kinkin Oujo." **(1)**

Hitsugaya watched as her katana seemingly split down the middle, creating two parallel blades coming from the hilt. The small gap between them seemed distorted, hazy, and the blades appeared to resonate. **(A/N: Think FFVII: Advent Children, Kadaj's sword for the shape.)**

"A noise type zanpukutou." Hitsugaya guessed. "The two blades vibrate, causing sound waves."

Shimizu pouted. "I wanted to tell you that."

"What you want, and what you will get, are two very different things, child." Seeing Shimizu's reaction to the taunt about her age, Hitsugaya could see how people got such a kick out of teasing him about the age thing. Not that he would ever admit it of course.

"Shut up, whitey!" Shimizu's feral shriek was accompanied by a slash of her sword. Hitsugaya dove to the side, but was still caught by the side of the distorted arc of air that had flown towards him. He felt his teeth rattling inside his head, and gained a headache worthy a week or paperwork.

"How'd it feel, Shiro-taicho?" Shimizu asked scornfully.

Hitsugaya's eyes flashed and he responded coldly. "I never gave you permission to address me in that manner."

Shimizu's next witty retort was cut off by the ferocious ice dragon that erupted from her opponent's sword.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Soi Fon and her opponent stared impassively at each other, assessing their opponent's stance for weaknesses. With a blur they were both gone, clashing some thirty metres distant. After a flurry of blows they separated, back to their staring once again.

"Tear and conceal...Biribiri Yaiba." **(2)** Sachike's blade shortened, becoming a wakizashi. A number of hooks and protrusions with serrated edges grew from it, designed in such a way that being stabbed was the least of your worries...having that blade pulled back out would remove a number of important things wherever the damage was done.

"Captain of the Gotei 13's 2nd Squad, Soi Fon." She didn't particularly feel like sharing her title as head of the military.

"Nakamura Sachike..Kagai 13 2nd Squad Captain, soon to be Gotei 13 2nd Squad Captain." He regarded her for a moment. "You do not release you zanpukutou. Are you that arrogant of your skills?"

Soi Fon narrowed her eyes at her opponent. "I will release my zanpukutou when I wish to kill you." She stretched leisurely. "And at the moment, what I would most like is to take you in for....questioning."

Sachike suppressed the chill that ran down his spine. "I see."

The next moment he was standing at her side, his blade angled to pierce her side and stab her through the heart. The point of the blade was an inch from penetration when Sachike felt his hand grabbed in a strong grip, and a leg sweeping his feet from under him. Soi Fon slammed her other hand open palmed down onto his chest, causing him to crash into an empty soccer field below them.

"I am the 2nd Squad Taicho and head of the military." Soi Fon shouted at her adversary. "Do not underestimate me."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yoruichi hated to admit it, but she might have overextended herself in taking on three Kagai 13 Captain's at once. While they didn't have the sort of experience most of the Gotei 13 Captains had, they were by no means pushovers. Yoruichi had been on the defensive for most of the fight, only barely managing to respond in kind to her attackers.

"Scream...Benihime."

An arc of red light catapulted towards the four combatants, Yoruichi being the only one who had begun to move the second she heard the command, leaving her opponents to take the blast head on. Between the three of them, they managed to absorb the unexpected attack.

Tanaka Hikari, the slightly (extremely) eccentric Captain with the twin forked beard exclaimed loudly. "Urahara Kisuke!"

"Yare yare...looks like I have a fan." Urahara smirked, while glancing at Yoruichi who had taken her place at his side.

"Careful...you'll get a swollen head." Yoruichi teased.

The three Kagai 13 Captains sized up their new opponent, still confident in their victory. Only Hikari looked a little worried. But then again, sometimes crazy people show the most sense.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Inside the Urahara Shoten, Tessai was sweating heavily from his exertions, straining to control the Hollowfication process. When they had used the Hogyoku to attempt to reverse the effects on Hirako and the original Vaizard, they had failed, but had succeeded in preventing them turning into full Hollow's. That was what he was now trying to achieve. What would have been a difficult task at the best of times was compounded by the sheer pressure of the reiatsu being exuded by Kurosaki Ichigo. It was causing even a man of Tessai's caliber to have problems breathing.

Ichigo was still wearing his Hollow mask, and had impaled his Bankai sword into the ground before him. He was sitting cross legged with his palms facing upwards, silently communicating with his soul and with his Hollow.

_Ichigo was in his inner world. The normally sunny skies were covered with dark storm clouds and laced with lightning, but the air was surprisingly dry. One push in the wrong direction would cause those clouds to open up and drench the world in sadness. Zangetsu knew what that one push could be._

_Ichigo and Hichigo were conversing quietly, a feat that would have been nigh impossible had the situation been different. It seemed that Hichigo was nearly as dedicated to saving Rukia as his King, even if the protection was slightly territorial. Zangetsu drifted closer so that he could overhear their conversation. _

"**No one gets to harm the Queen but me, King, and that's the way it's gonna stay.**" _Hichigo jabbed Ichigo in the chest with an outstretched finger._

"_So that concern you displayed earlier was just a slip of the tongue." Ichigo seemed amused. Hichigo snarled at him and Ichigo held his hands up in mock defeat. "I got a question for you though. Why are you so active now, after years of near silence?"_

"**Blame the Hollowfication gas. It was supposed to force your soul to form a Hollow, all it did to you was give me a hell of a wake up call.**_" Hichigo still seemed grumpy over this fact. _

"_I'm glad that's all it did...two inner hollow would have been a bitch."_

_Hichigo's mad cackle was cut off when Zangetsu decided to offer his own input. "__**The Hollowfication gas returned Hichigo to the state he was in before you suppressed him, Ichigo. In that way, they have done you a favour."**_

"_I have to fight you for control _again_?" Ichigo was incredulous. "Wait, what do you mean they've done me a favour?"_

"**Do you think I'd be standing here chatting with you if I had a chance at taking control?**_" Hichigo rolled his eyes. _

"_**Having Hichigo once again active within you will allow you to train with and expand your Hollow powers with his help, Ichigo.**__" Zangetsu explained. "__**But if you wish to return him to silence, all you have to do is make him submit once more. It would be much easier than the last time you faced him.**__"_

_Hichigo waited, his eyes boring holes into Ichigo's head as he debated within himself. While he appeared calm, he regarded returning to silence with distaste, and would do a lot to avoid that. He saw Ichigo wavering in his decision, and it appeared that he was going to decide against him. "_**King, wait! If you let me stay awake, I'll help you with your friends Hollow!**"

_Ichigo gave him a suspicious stare. "How would you help with them? Show them the best ways to take control?"_

_Hichigo ignored the barb, pushing on quickly. "_**I could talk to them, act as a go-between for the times they take control.**_" His expression turned grim. "_**And believe me, there will be times when they take control.**_"_

_Ichigo pondered the deal Hichigo had just offered, trying to hide the fact that he had decided to keep Hichigo awake from the start. Despite the fact that no shinigami had ever lost to their inner hollow, it couldn't hurt to take precautions. "Alright." Ichigo replied, appearing reluctant. "But you also have to train me in the use of your powers. __**Fully.**__" _

_Hichigo nodded quickly, too relieved to argue further. Well, almost. "_**Oi King, I also want to be let out once in a while to talk to their Hollow's for myself.**_" _

_Ichigo looked at him with distrust, and Hichigo shrugged. "_**It gets damn boring in here without anyone except pigeon man here to talk to.**_" He indicated the flag pole that Zangetsu was usually perched on. "_**You agree to that, I'll show you something real cool as soon as this ruckus is over.**_"_

_Ichigo shook hands with Hichigo, sealing the deal. A historic moment. Zangetsu almost lost his glasses when he jerked with surprise at the gesture, but managed to disguise the gesture. _

_Ichigo felt a pulling sensation, and began to return to the real world. "I'm holding you to our deal, Hollow." _

_Zangetsu shook his head. Those two would never call each other by name._

"_See you, old man."_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo opened his eyes to the real world, bracing himself for what he would discover upon his return. The first thing he was Tessai, collapsed against the wall looking haggard and weak, but very much victorious. Ichigo bowed from his sitting position, even as he felt his bones protesting the movement. He turned his view to Renji and Tatsuki, maskless and holding each other for dear life. In Tatsuki's eyes there was only relief, but Renji's were shadowed by the knowledge of what was to come. Ichigo could see the white shards of their masks on the floor, even as they disappeared.

Ichigo took a deep, calming breath and turned to where Rukia was going to be, staring at him expectantly and offering words of reassurance, even when she had been the one going through the ordeal.

She wasn't.

Rukia was still unconscious on her mat, breathing steadily, but still unconscious. Her mask had stopped at covering half of her face, but had completed forming. The eye that had formed was underlined in deepest blue, and there were tear drops in the form of snow flakes falling from it. The overall shape that was formed greatly resembled Ichigo's.

Ichigo dissolved his mask as he leaned over her, not wanting that to be her first sight. He brushed her face, picking some of the half congealed mask substance from her free eye, and broke the part of her mask covering her mouth away. He left the part covering her cheek and upper left face there, believing that she would want to tear that away herself.

"Rukia...are you there?" He willed her to wake up.

"I'm here...**lover boy.**"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nakajima Hayato angled his sword to rip Urahara's throat from his neck, allowing his glee to show on his face. He savoured the panicked look on his foe's face, but his glee turned to worry when the panicked look was wiped away by a wink. Hayato felt an incredibly hard object (Yoruichi's elbow) come into contact with the back of his head, hurling him into the remains of the Urahara Shoten. He crashed through one wall without slowing, but was stopped dead when he hit the barrier erected around Tessai and the others.

Hayato rose to his feet, feeling the back of his head. His hand came away sticky with blood. Before he rejoined the battle, he took a moment to inspect his appearance in a mirror that had miraculously survived his impact with the shop. Short black hair, a finely trimmed beard that surrounded his mouth and trailed up his jawline, perfectly centered nose, mysterious blue eyes...all came together to give him his fiendishly good looks.

Hayato admired his appearance for just one moment longer, but it turned out that it was one moment too long. He felt the barrier in the next room shatter. Strange. It had seemed far too strong to be broken by any outside influence...he turned, preparing to kill whoever had been foolish enough to flee their safe haven in his presence. They were not who he was expecting.

Kuchiki Rukia stood at the doorway to the next room, her head tilted back as if talking to someone still inside. Hayato could only make out the right side of her face, but something about her visible eye seemed...off. Then she turned, giving the stunned 5th Squad Captain a full view of her face. Her black and yellow eyes bored into him, striking fear into his soul.

"W-what are you?" It was all he could manage.

Hollow Rukia smiled cruelly, enjoying his fear. "**I...? I am a monument...to all your sins**."

Then she was gone, flashing past the captain who was terrified into silence by his first true encounter with a shinigami's inner hollow.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I'm here...**lover boy**."

Ichigo looked into Rukia's eyes, which were now being overtaken by the black and yellow that he knew so well. "How...?"

"Rukia is unconscious, but her hollow isn't. It's taken the opportunity to take control." Tessai coughed from his position propped up against the wall.

"**Right in one...now if you'll excuse me?**" Without another word she shattered the barrier protecting them, fleeing into the world outside.

Renji and Tatsuki watched as numerous emotions sprawled across Ichigo's face, protectiveness, concern, but most of all...guilt.

"Go after her idiot...we'll make sure no one attacks Tessai-san while he's down." It appeared that Renji had developed a great deal of respect for Tessai.

Ichigo's resolve strengthened, as he rose and pulled his sword from the ground. He could hear Hollow Rukia speaking to someone in the next room, before flash stepping further away. He was gone with a whisper of Shunpo.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Urahara knew something was wrong the second he felt his barrier shatter. He could feel the Hollow reiatsu within, and he feared for the worst. Had Tessai failed at manipulating one of the victim's reiatsu's, or had one of their inner hollow taken control so quickly? He had his answer when Hollow Rukia appeared at the edge of their battle.

"**Ohhh, this looks like fun...mind if I join in?**" She spoke in the innocent voice that Ichigo detested to much, but with a crueler undertone to it, and drew her zanpukutou.

"Rukia-chan!"

Urahara's gaze snapped to the newcomers. Ukitake emerged from a Senkei gate, shock written clearly across his face at Rukia's condition. There was one other at his side.

"**Ah, Ukitake-san, good to see you.**" Hollow Rukia grinned grotesquely at her mentor. "**And my precious Nii-sama. You decided to take some interest in the Queen's life for once?**"

Byakuya remained stoic, even as he drew his zanpukutou.

"Reinforcements, excellent. Subdue the Hollow entity so that we may take it back to Sereitei for proper study."

Byakuya's eyes widened, sending a scorching gaze in Kaede's direction. "You presume authority over _me_?"

Kaede shrank back under the intensity of Byakuya's glare, and Ukitake spoke up once more.

"Rukia, what happened to you?" His tone was worried.

"**I'm sorry, Rukia-chan isn't here right now, but I'll be happy to take a message.**" Hollow Rukia taunted in reply.

"That's good...because you're the one** I want to talk to right now**." Ichigo had appeared at the edge of the stare down, and even Yoruichi raised an eyebrow at the speed with which he had arrived. His golden eyes were outlined with blue. "**You **_**will**_** return control to Rukia. **_**Now.**_"

"**You know, I don't think I will. I haven't had my fun just yet.**" Hollow Rukia sent a lewd wink his way. "**And after that, maybe you could make this body into a woman. I know you haven't had the guts to do it to Queen yet.**"

In any other situation, that comment would have been cause for blushing by Ichigo and death threats from Byakuya, but the atmosphere was far to serious.

"**If that's the way you feel....**" Ichigo trailed off.

"**It is.**" Hollow Rukia fluttered her fingers at him.

Ichigo nodded once. Then his reiatsu charged. "**Getsuga Tenshou!**" The arc of black energy hummed towards its target.

Hollow Rukia stood stock-still even as those around her moved to avoid the powerful attack. She hadn't thought that Ichigo would be willing to make a move against her, let alone unleash an attack of that caliber.

"**You underestimate my resolve to protect Rukia.**" Ichigo's double layered voice was at her shoulder. Hollow Rukia was torn between blocking the attack and plunging her sword through the body of the man that her Queen held so dear. This hesitation gave Ichigo the opportunity he needed.

Without considering how he did it, he tore open a Garganta. Byakuya and Ukitake tensed at this blatant use of a Hollow power, even as Ichigo wrapped his arms around Rukia's body to keep her Hollow from moving. The Getsuga impacted with a roar, inflicting equal damage on both Vaizard, and forcing them through the Garganta. It slammed shut behind them.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Shimizu's sound waves were becoming irritating to Hitsugaya. And by irritating, he meant a major pain in the ass. Each time he unleashed another ice dragon, her sound waves quickly shattered it. On the other hand, each time she attacked with a sound wave, he could negate it with yet another ice dragon. It was tiring the both of them, and so far Hitsugaya hadn't been able to close on his opponent, who seemed to sense she held an advantage so long as she kept her distance.

"What's wrong, shorty? Having a hard time 'reaching' me?" Shimizu taunted.

"Not at all." Hitsugaya replied in a deceptively mild voice. "I'm just thinking of what it would do to my reputation to be seen attacking a child." He was truly enjoying teasing his would be successor.

Hitsugaya dodged a barrage of cutting sound attacks, twisting to avoid the deadly blows, not seeing the trap he was being drawn into. He saw his predicament too late, realizing he had been boxed in between the surface of the river and the bridge only when he saw Shimizu's smirking face.

The smirk was backed up by a vicious sound wave that rushed towards him, kicking water high in the air as it went. Shimizu broke out in a mad giggle as her attack made contact with her enemy, causing the water around him to spray up into a thick mist. She saw the bloody 10th Squad haori float away on the wind, before separating into the pieces it had been torn into by her attack.

"You lose...shorty." Shimizu pointed her blade at the place her enemy's corpse lay.

She was completely unprepared for the sickle shaped blade that pierced the mist to wrap itself and the chain following it around the blades of her sword.

"Make sure of your kill before you start boasting." The words came as a hiss as the mist dissolved, revealing a bloody Toushirou, clad in only his shihakusho. Shimizu watched in apprehension as ice began forming around her blades, cutting off the vibrations between the two of them.

Caught up in the spreading ice on her zanpukutou, Shimizu failed to notice Hitsugaya lunging towards her, sword extended in front of him. The blade took her through the shoulder, pinning her in place long enough to hear Hitsugaya's next words.

"Only a child would believe the fight won after landing a single blow." His voice was cold.

Shimizu jumped back, pulling the blade from her shoulder with a sickening squelch. She threw one look at the enraged visage of her foe and the swelling of his reiatsu and fled.

Hitsugaya slowly made his way to the river bank and fell to his knees. He didn't want to think how things would have turned out if Shimizu had continued the fight. He peeled the shoulder of his robe away from the deep wound on his shoulder, wincing as he realized that he could barely move his arm. He slowly began to make his way back to the Urahara Shoten.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Soi Fon glared at her opponent. Sachike didn't have a cut on him, only numerous bruises and a trickle of blood leaking from the side of his mouth. She had managed to avoid being stabbed so far, but had sustained numerous slashes in doing so.

Sachike had a gloating smirk on his face, confident in his supremacy over Soi Fon. "It seems that I will be doing the Gotei 13 a favour in taking your place." The smirk became a full blown grin. "You seem to be woefully lacking in zanjetsu skills."

Soi Fon felt ire rising. Sachike knew damn well that she was at a disadvantage fighting his shikai with only her unreleased zanpukutou. The low chuckle that escaped his lips only sent her over the edge. She flew at him without consideration, aiming to crush his throat with the blade of her hand.

"Very rash, Captain. Very rash." The voice came from her right side.

Soi Fon felt only a small amount of pain as his blade entered her side, and flashed away quickly, knowing that the fight was over if it was ripped out. She had to end this now.

"Shunko!"

Sachike was forced back by the fury of Soi Fon's technique, crossing his arms over his face to protect it from the dirt being kicked up all around the soccer field. When he regained his sight, he paled.

Soi Fon stood calmly, despite the wakizashi sticking out from her side, her captain's haori ripped apart by the Kido build up on her back and shoulders.

Wordlessly, Sachike made a slashing motion with his hand, and Soi Fon felt the blade in her side dissolve without doing further harm. She saw it reform in her opponents hand.

They stared silently at each other for several more moments, neither of them willing to concede. Soi Fon raised her reiatsu slightly, causing the lightning on her arms and back to arc out, making contact with the ground around her.

Sachike flashed away without another word.

Soi Fon felt blood begin to pool inside her body where she had been stabbed. She focused on Hitsugaya's reiatsu, determining to regroup with him and then make her way to the female Ryoka, Inoue. She would have her heal the two of them, and then return to the fight.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The three Kagai 13 captains and two Gotei 13 captains along with Urahara and Yoruichi watched as the Garganta slammed shut, swallowing Ichigo and Rukia.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that." Urahara's voice had regained its blithe cheerfulness.

He had barely finished speaking when the other two Kagai 13 captains arrived, looking a little worse for wear.

"You both won?" Hayato had recovered from his encounter with Hollow Rukia and was back to his arrogant self. He surveyed Sachike's bruised and battered appearance, as well as the sword word in Shimizu's shoulder.

"No, the 2nd Squad captain revealed an unknown Kido technique and I was forced to flee, but I had inflicted a deep stab wound."

Yoruichi chuckled as she imagined him fleeing from Soi Fon's Shunko.

"What about you? You manage to finish the little shiro off?" Hayato snapped at Shimizu.

"You think I'd be this pissed if I had? The little bastard pretended to be dead, froze my sword and stabbed me!" Her reply was somewhat waspish, and Ukitake had to fight to keep his expression serious.

"That is irrelevant." Kaede interrupted coldly. "What matters now is subduing the two traitors we have corned."

"And which traitors would these be, woman?" Byakuya addressed Kaede with disdain.

She turned to point at Urahara and Yoruichi angrily, only to find the space where they had been vacant. She whirled around, as if expecting to see them hiding behind a piece of nearby rubble. Hayato wore a murderous expression, while Hikari laughed lightly before resuming his ever constant humming. Kaede seemed stumped, and Sachike and Shimizu wore no expression at all. They had thought themselves superior to their Gotei opposites.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Urahara chuckled loudly as he deposited Renji on the floor of his gigantic basement. Yoruichi took her arm from around Tatsuki's shoulders and allowed her to stand on her own, as Tessai caught up to the group under his own power.

"Tessai, can you work a transportation spell?" Urahara asked, even as he continued chuckling at literally walking away from the Kagai captains.

Tessai nodded and set himself, slamming his hands together palm first. They began to glow green once again and he muttered something beneath his breath. The world shifted slightly around them, and they each felt a great dizziness. The next moment they were in a basement almost identical to the first one.

"Welcome to the hideout of the Vaizard's." Urahara gave a flowery bow. "Here we shall await the victorious return of Kurosaki and Kuchiki-kun, as well as the upcoming arrival of the Vaizard's. Any questions?"

They shook their heads, and Tessai sank to the ground to gain some much needed rest. You didn't perform Kido of the caliber that he had today and just shrug it off.

Yoruichi's head snapped toward the stair case that descended into the basement, sensing a faint whisper of reiatsu. She eased when she recognized who was responsible for it.

Chad stepped out into the artificial desert, his transformed arm bearing a shield held out protectively before him. Ishida was at his side, bow at the ready. Inoue came timidly behind them, followed immediately by Soi Fon and Toushirou.

"Hey, Ishida. Thought you would have shown up earlier, grabbed the opportunity to fight some shinigami." Yoruichi's voice was teasing.

The bespectacled Quincy pushed his glasses up slightly. "Hardly. I've more brains than some shinigami who rush off to the first fight they can find. Speaking of Kurosaki, where is he? I assumed he would be here with Rukia."

"Ichigo is dealing with Rukia-chan right now. Her Hollow seized an opportunity to take control." Urahara informed him with a wink.

Ishida was taken back. "What? Her Hollow?" He looked quickly at Tatsuki with Renji at her side, who had rushed over to greet Orihime as soon as she had seen her. "I think you owe us an explanation."

"Indeed. But first, why are you here with Soi Fon and Hitsugaya?" Urahara was curious.

Chad answered him. "When we felt you fighting....we met them at Inoue's house."

Ishida sagged. "He cut out the middle of the story again..."

"Ishida-kun and Sado-kun came to my house when we felt the fighting start! Ishida-kun suggested we stay out of the fight for now, and move in to finish off the enemy and heal our friends when it was over!" She made a karate chop motion. "But then Soi Fon taicho and Toushirou arrived so I healed them. Then Ishida-kun said he felt some strange reiatsu here, so we came to investigate!" Orihime made an awkward salute, ignoring Toushirou's muttered 'It's Captain Hitsugaya'.

"A somewhat convoluted reply, but it serves its purpose..." Urahara blinked at the end of Inoue's speech. "And as for your explanation...I'm sorry, but that will have to wait until Ichigo and Rukia return safely. It is not something I want to reveal twice."

Ishida gave Urahara a hard look, wondering just what the eccentric man had done this time. Urahara, for his part, only looked up at the 'sky', twiddling his thumbs as he wondered even then how his protégé was coping.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo faced Rukia over the flowing sands of Hueco Mundo. He was focused entirely on his opponent, taking in every movement she made. Hollow Rukia slowly ran her tongue over her blade, before sending him a distinctively predatory look.

"**I will not be subdued. This body is mine!**"

"Rukia is the Queen. You are nothing more than the Horse. Now leave!"

"**You can't even keep your mask on anymore. What makes you think you can beat me?**"

Resolve shone brightly in Ichigo's eyes, as he took his stance and his reiatsu whipped around him.

"Rukia...I'm coming."

**Hahar, longest chapter so far. Hope you enjoy it, and if anyone notices some incorrect terms or names, please tell me. I'm writing these going off my memory, so I'm more than open to any corrections. Thanks for reading, please review!**

**1 ****Kinkin Oujo: Shrill Princess—Shimizu's zanpukutou.**

**2 Biribiri Yaiba: Ripping Blade—Sachike's zanpukutou. **


	12. A Series of Firsts

**Thanks to DarkJason, Arcadia Silver and SeraphinaDonna for their particularly large reviews. It's reviews like that that got me to write the vast majority of this chapter on the day after posting the last...oh, and one last announcement...**

**INCOMING LEMON!!! TAKE COVER!!!**

"Rukia...I'm coming."

Ichigo pulsed towards the the woman who was so much more than his nakama. He blurred out of sight, disappearing and reappearing as he flew towards his target. He swung his blade down on Hollow Rukia's right side, and she blocked almost lazily, as he strained against the strength of her Hollow.

"**Weak.**" She taunted.

Ichigo pulled his fist back and punched her in the face, causing half of her mask to shatter. Hollow Rukia jumped back, cursing, as her mask reformed slowly. She leveled her sword at him.

"**Dance, Sode no Shirayuki.**"

Ichigo could feel her reiatsu building.

"**Tsugi no mae...Hakuren!**"

Ichigo was shocked by the speed and ferocity of the attack. He barely managed to avoid it, and even then it was only thanks to the extra speed his Bankai granted him. He went down on one knee, keeping his eyes on Rukia.

_Rukia woke within her own mind, groggy. She couldn't comprehend what was going on. She was fighting Ichigo, trying to kill him. That wasn't right...she would never harm him. That wasn't right! Rukia could feel panic welling up in her. What was going on? Then she remembered. _

_The mission. The lab. The gas. The mask. __**Her**__ Hollow._

_The feeling of panic surged within her. This wasn't something she knew how to deal with, wasn't something she was prepared to deal with. She was trapped within her own body, and she had no idea what to do. What had Ichigo done when he was in this situation? _

_**Ichigo**__. He would help her, he would show her the way. He was powerful, he could free her from the prison in her own mind, and then they could work together to subdue her Inner Hollow._

Hollow Rukia flickered out of sight, and Ichigo leapt to meet her attack. Swords clashed, tremors running up each of their arms from the force of it. Ichigo head butted Hollow Rukia in an attempt to break her mask, but connected with her shoulder when she moved her head to the side. Ichigo felt a searing pain at the crook of his neck, and he realized he had been bitten. He forced Hollow Rukia back with a heave of his sword, pushing reiatsu into the blade.

Hollow Rukia ran her tongue over her lips, savouring the taste of his blood. Using her free hand, she grabbed her breast, kneading it. "**Your blood makes me feel good, lover boy.**"

"Stop touching Rukia's body." Ichigo ordered, disturbed by the reaction he was having to the sight.

"**Ah, you like what you see?**" Hollow Rukia inquired. "**And it's as much my body as it is hers!**"

Without warning, Hollow Rukia leapt towards him, grasping her sword with both hands. She slashed him down from his shoulder, before angling her blade across his stomach. The cut was light, but it stung. Instead of pulling away from his inevitable counter attack, Hollow Rukia intoned one word.

"**Tsukishiro**."

Ice leapt up from the sand beneath them as Hollow Rukia leapt away, completely engulfing Ichigo and blowing the top of his shihakusho away. He was frozen in place, a scowl the last expression his face would make.

"**You know, I rather like that pose...maybe I should get him out and have some fun with him. What do you think, Queen?**"

Hollow Rukia tilted her head, listening to Rukia's furious sobbing. Her host had been silent until a moment ago, Ichigo's death giving her the resolve to begin fighting back.

Rukia was desolate. She had waited for Ichigo to rescue her, not even trying to take control back from her Hollow. It was her fault he was dead. Ichigo always fought for her. If she hadn't waited for him, if she had done something, anything to help him, he wouldn't be frozen on the sands of Hueco Mundo.

**It's all your fault, Queen. It's your fault I was able to take control in the first place, your fault HE is dead.** Hollow Rukia's words were mocking Rukia in her own head, compounding the guilt.

No. Rukia wouldn't let it end like this. **She** was the Queen, not the sad, shallow reflection in her soul.

Hollow Rukia settled herself on the ground, preparing for the fight. She would lose, this time, she knew, but she would not go easily. And the harder she fought this time, the easier things would be the next, until she was ready to truly confront Rukia for dominance.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"**Pathetic King. Really, really pathetic.**"

_Ichigo scowled when he heard Hichigo's sneering tone. He was in his inner world again. "What do you want now?"_

"**What do **_**I**_** want?**"_Hichigo cackled. "_**You're the one frozen in Hueco Mundo!**"

"_Damn. I didn't think the attack was that bad." His scowl deepened._

"_**It wasn't. I brought you here because you are unwilling to cut Rukia, despite her Hollow being in control.**__" Zangetsu cut in._

"_What, you expect me to slice her up? I won't do that." Ichigo stated emphatically. _

"**Nope. But I will.**_" Hichigo stated with a creepy wink._

"_Like hell." Ichigo snarled._

"_**It is time for Hichigo to demonstrate the technique he promised to teach you.**__" Zangetsu explained._

"**You're gonna love this one King.**_" He paused, stroking his chin. "_**Well, I do anyway.**_" He wasted no time in launching into an explanation. "_**You learnt the Cero on your own, but you're nowhere near mastering it. I'm gonna show you how to use your own personalised version.**_"_

"_I can't cut her so you expect me to use a Cero on her?" Ichigo was incredulous. _

"**No, I don't expect you to fire a Cero on the Queen.**_" Hichigo's grin stretched up to his ears. "_**You're gonna give me control so I can demonstrate it for you.**_"_

"_Get fucked."_

"_**Ichigo, there is not enough time for Hichigo to explain it to you. He will demonstrate it, and your body will remember it.**__" Zangetsu paid no attention to Ichigo's language. _

"**Don't worry, it won't kill her. It's not an attack that's designed to kill.**_" Ichigo could've sworn that Hichigo seemed pleased by that fact. "_**It's a duration attack, so a few moments of it won't do much damage. Keep it up for long enough, and they won't even be recognizable when you let up. Their corpse won't be, anyway.**_"_

_Ichigo eyed him warily. "What sort of attack is this?"_

"**I thought it up when we first fought that fucker Byakuya. You'll love it.**_" Hichigo repeated._

"_You won't kill her or even hurt her too badly?" Ichigo was still not persuaded._

"_**I will keep him in check, Ichigo.**__"_

_Ichigo looked back and forth between the two beings that made up his soul, still not convinced. _

_Hichigo rolled his eyes. "_**I'll let you share in some of it. How does that sound? More than you ever did for me...**_" Hichigo broke off with a grumble._

"_You were trying to take over my soul then, not help me." Ichigo argued. Then he sighed. "Fine, but if she's hurt badly, you'll get it ten times worse."_

"**Whatever. You can thank me later.**_" Hichigo blew him off breezily. "_**Now, let's go.**_"_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia and her Hollow continued to struggle. They were at the turning point in the struggle, and Rukia had her hands tugging at her mask, although very weakly.

Hollow Rukia was distracted, and so was Rukia, when she heard the sound of cracking ice behind them. Hollow Rukia whirled, having to see things with her own eyes. She was so sure she had killed him. Rukia gave a small sob of relief and allowed herself to back off in her efforts, but not completely. She wouldn't make that mistake again.

"**Couldn't get enough of me, could you?**" Hollow Rukia taunted. She gave him time to re-orient himself, admiring his chiseled chest.

"**Sorry, but Ichigo isn't in right now. He's about to learn how to deal with bitches like you.**"

Hollow Rukia's eyes widened when she felt his reiatsu pour over her, dark and overpowering. She knew she was dealing with Hichigo, the Hollow, not Ichigo.

"**My, my, aren't you the sexy one?**" Hollow Rukia purred. "**How about we put this fight on hold, and find somewhere comfortable?**" Her tone was suggestive.

Hichigo shook his head. "**As much as I'd like to bang you, I promised the King I'd show him something special.**"

Hollow Rukia sneered at him. "**That's right, you were too weak to win your battle. Pathetic.**"

Hichigo just chuckled darkly, worrying Hollow Rukia at his lack of reaction to her taunt. He pointed his fore and middle fingers at her, and spoke a command.

"**Cero Susurro.**"

Rather than a direct blast, the Cero streamed out and rushed towards its target in ribbons, twisting and churning as it went. Hollow Rukia found herself wrapped in it, struggling to free herself, as the Cero convalesced into a sphere, cutting the outside world from sight. Hollow Rukia screamed as she felt the energy of the Cero scratching at her body with whips of agony. While it was doing little damage compared to a direct Cero blast, it was almost impossible to dodge, and if it was kept up long enough, it would do a huge amount of damage, as well as nigh on cripple the target.

Ichigo watched as his Cero dissipated and his Hollow relinquished control, feeling the darkness disappear from his eyes. When Rukia's body came into sight, Ichigo winced at the lashes that covered her body. They didn't appear to be deep, but blood was leaking freely and they looked painful. Ichigo took the opportunity to rush forward and shatter what remained of Rukia's mask with the base of his katana, but before he could get there, Rukia's hand blurred to her face, ripping off the mask.

"Ichigo..." It was whispered, but Ichigo heard it clearly. He flashed to her side, catching her as her knees buckled.

"You're back." Ichigo murmured quietly. He lowered himself to the ground, still supporting her weight in his arms.

Rukia's hand reached up to stroke his face. "She killed you...I thought she killed you, and it was all my fault."

"No. Never your fault." Ichigo's voice was strong.

"I didn't fight back because I thought you would beat her, free me....she scared me so much."

"Rukia, I don't protect you because you need it. I protect you because I want to."

Rukia's eyes widened at his confession, and Ichigo continued. "Having a Hollow isn't something you can shrug off. If I didn't have you to help me, I never would have been able to subdue my own."

Ichigo's reiatsu began to pour out, and Rukia could sense all of his emotions, his concern, his guilt, but most of all, his love. Rukia was bathed in it, feeling its soothing presence. She felt the cuts and scrapes caused by the Cero healing and closing, the blood sliding off her body.

It was only then that the two of them realized something rater embarrassing.

Hollow Rukia's Tsukishiro had ripped over half of Ichigo's shihakusho off, leaving him with only the lower half of his Bankai robes, and of that, half of the left leg and most of the right was missing. On the other hand, Hichigo's Cero had sliced through Rukia's robes in numerous places, leaving her clothed in little better than rags.

They were both half naked.

Ichigo felt his eyes being drawn to the slight curves of Rukia's breasts, visible through the tears in her shihakusho, while Rukia was busy examining Ichigo's toned chest. Both of them made eye contact at the same time, catching each other out.

Rukia was embarrassed that she had been caught blatantly checking him out, but at the same time, slightly pleased by the look in his eyes as he had ran them over her body.

"I'm not going back to the living world looking like this." Rukia stated, getting up for emphasis. She blushed crimson when the top of her shihakusho fell apart completely, leaving her chest completely bare to Ichigo's gaze.

Ichigo, to his credit, did not break out in a nosebleed, although his eyes did bulge out rather noticeably. Rukia crossed her arms and tried to change the subject.

"We need to find a shelter. Our battle probably attracted the attention of a few Hollow in the area."

Ichigo nodded shakily. "Yeah. Then we can find some clothes...somehow...and I'll try figure a way back home."

The began to march aimlessly, Rukia keeping her arms crossed over her chest, Ichigo hoping to come across an Arrancar he could beat up for their clothes.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia threw her arms up in the air. "This is ridiculous, Ichigo. We've been traveling for five hours, and we haven't come across another creature.

Ichigo took a moment to reply, somewhat hypnotised by the sight of Rukia's breasts. She put her hands on her hips. "Well?"

"Huh? Oh, well, its not like we can do much else."

Rukia made an attempt to reply, but was cut off when Ichigo raised his hand abruptly.

"Wait." He cocked his head to the side, as if listening for something. Then his gaze grew panicked. "We've got to find cover!" He began dragging Rukia towards an outcrop of rocks.

"What is it, Ichigo?" Rukia was confused. It wasn't like Ichigo to run. At least, not _away_ from the danger.

"Sandstorm! Keep running!"

Rukia's eyes widened and she matched his pace, fleeing from the increasing wind behind them.

They made it to the rocky outcrop, which turned out to be a large pile of boulders. Ichigo led the way, leading Rukia into the winding path made by the gaps between the rocks. The wind died off almost immediately, although they could still hear it howling outside. Rukia shivered, and Ichigo unthinkingly put his arm around her. They both blushed at the skin to skin contact, but neither pushed the other away.

They searched the rock formation for ten minutes, looking for a natural cave, before Ichigo grew impatient. He withdrew his arm from Rukia's shoulder somewhat reluctantly, noticing her pout as he did so. Holding Tensa Zangetsu with both hands, he slashed deeply into a large rock, carving out a small overhang. He slashed inside the area he had carved out several times, before giving it a good kick. As he hopped around on his foot, the rock splintered and crumbled away, revealing a decent, if somewhat cramped, resting place.

"We should rest for a while. Hueco Mundo isn't a place to go wandering around at half strength." Ichigo suggested.

Rukia crossed her arms again, this time from the cold, not modesty, and nodded. Ichigo saw her shiver and motioned for her to get in first.

"You'll be warmer if I'm on the outside."

Rukia made no protest and slipped into the small alcove. It was high enough for Rukia to stand in slightly hunched over, but Ichigo would have to bend in two to fit in while standing. Rukia waited for Ichigo to crawl in, before erecting a kido barrier that would give them time to wake up if they were threatened. Ichigo lay down beside her, and Rukia was very conscious of the heat his body was throwing off and the contact between their arms before she fell asleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When Rukia woke up, there was a feeling of great contentment on her and she felt more comfortable than she could ever remember feeling. She was laying on something very pleasant, something warm. Something alive.

Rukia slowly lifted her head up, and a field of orange invaded her vision. She blinked. Then she realized that she was lying chest down on Ichigo.

Chest down...and neither of them were wearing tops.

Rukia could feel his heart beat against her chest, and she lay her head back down, savouring the feeling. She shifted slightly, feeling her nipples dragging across his chest. They hardened at the contact.

Ichigo could feel a pleasant heat above his body. On it, actually. He breathed in through his nose, and could make out a pleasant scent—smelling of the crisp cold of a winter thaw, the green of spring, and the blooming of a sakura petal, all mixed in one. He wrapped his arms around the scent, buried his face in it.

Rukia closed her eyes in contentment when Ichigo wrapped his arms around her. He had a strong, masculine scent. It reminded her of nights sleeping in his closet, the way he looked when he saved her life, when he vowed to protect her. She was comforted by it, feeling protected just by his scent alone. She felt him bury his face in her hair, and happiness welled within her. But just as soon she felt another sensation make itself known: desire.

Ichigo was aware, even in his dreamlike state, that the body above his belonged to Rukia. It only made it so much more right. Almost of their own will, his hands began to roam up and down her back, rubbing softly.

Rukia let out a small sound when Ichigo's hands began to trail along her back. Goosebumps followed in their path, and her own hands began to trace the lines of his muscles. She could feel his scars, and knew without looking which ones had been earned protecting her, fighting for her. Ichigo's hands brushed against the sides of her breasts, and her nipples became fully erect.

Ichigo could feel the tips of Rukia's nipples pressing into his chest. He was now fully awake, and yet he had still not made eye contact with the small woman on his chest. Leaving off his attentions on her back with one hand, he traced her jawline before lifting her face towards his own with a finger under her chin.

Rukia responded to Ichigo's finger drawing her face up, and opened her eyes, finding herself staring into his eyes. They were like open doors, doors that led directly to his soul. She could see the love and admiration he had for her clearly.

Ichigo's breath caught as Rukia opened her eyes. For the first time, they were completely unguarded. Rukia had let all her defenses down, and he could see all. The barest hint of pain, of buried memories, but drowned beneath a torrent of love and acceptance for who he was. Even before gaining her own Hollow, Rukia had accepted that side of him without question, and had never shown fear when confronted with it.

Hesitantly at first, but then with greater confidence, they drew closer together, before finally locking lips with a passion. It was sweet. It was tasty. It was good.

Rukia felt their passions rising, unchecked. They were Hollow, Vaizard, outlaw. Their comrades, their friends, their family were required to kill them on sight, simply for being what they were. Rukia was not going to let anything go left unsaid between the two of them.

Ichigo ran his hand down along her chin, over her collar bone and across her chest, proceeding down along her smooth stomach and onto her creamy thighs, brushing her midnight curls through what was left of her shihakusho, before retracing his path back up her body, his hand coming to rest on her bare right breast. He squeezed it experimentally, eliciting a small moan from Rukia's lips. He teased her nipple between the tips of his fingers, palming her breast in one hand. He felt Rukia grind herself onto him, and surrendered a moan of his own.

Rukia had almost gasped when Ichigo had cupped her breast in his hand, biting it back to a moan at the last minute. When he began to tease her nipple, she ground herself into him without thought, and was pleased when he released a moan of his own. She could feel the hardness of his rod when she pressed her most sensitive spot into him, and felt her desire rise again.

Ichigo gave out a savage growl when Rukia continued to grind herself into him, feeling the heat coming from between her legs. He wanted it. He needed it. He would have it.

Rukia could feel the pleasure coming from her breast and her pussy, but it wasn't enough. She wanted more. And when Ichigo grabbed a fistful of the pathetic fabric covering her with each hand and ripped it apart, she knew she was going to get it. Now bare, she could feel the roughness of the fabric still covering his body rubbing against her inner thighs. With Ichigo's help, she pulled it down, and threw it away, discarded.

Now completely naked, Ichigo could feel himself pressing up against her hot slit. He felt a smirk forming on his face. Not yet.

Rukia rubbed herself along his length, begging for him to enter her. Their tongues continued their savage war, but she still wanted more. A cry escaped her lips and she rose, back arched, pulling away from his lips, as she felt Ichigo slide a finger inside her.

Ichigo couldn't slid a finger into her entrance, feeling her wetness and heat. It slid in almost effortlessly, before pulling out, only to tease her outer lips relentlessly. His erection was practically screaming for acceptance into that tight haven of life and love, and he knew she could feel it. His fingers continued to tease her, twisting her nipple and rubbing her pussy, until he came into contact with that small nub between her legs, and Rukia snapped.

Rukia glared down at the man beneath her. He had teased her for far too long, and now she was going to take what she wanted, by force, if necessary.

Ichigo paled when he saw the predatory look in Rukia's eyes. She meant business. He left of his teasing, his hands moving to her shoulders.

"Whenever you're ready." His tone was strong.

Rukia nodded and slid herself along his length with a grin as she moved into position, teasing him for once. Ichigo groaned as she took her sweet time. He felt her grab his manhood, positioning it at her entrance.

She closed her eyes and took a breath as she began to press his length against her outer lips. She was practically dripping with her juices, and still it was a tight fit. With a sigh, she felt him push past her outer lips, only to be stopped at the final barrier. She squirmed from side to side, growing accustomed to his presence.

When she made no move to continue, Ichigo dropped his hands to her hips, raising her up slightly. She nodded once with trust in her eyes, and he pulled her down as he thrust up, breaking through her womanhood and filling her completely.

Rukia felt a sharp pain at the penetration, and lay herself against his chest, waiting for it to fade. She could feel _everything._ Every vein, muscle, ridge. Ichigo waited patiently, controlling himself with an iron will. The will dissolved completely when Rukia began to rock back and forth, and he felt her pussy muscles contracting around his cock.

Still pressed against his chest, Rukia could feel the waves of pleasure pulsating outwards from where they were joined. She tilted her head to the side, her breath tickling his neck. She raised herself up, almost pulling off him completely, before slamming down hard, causing Ichigo to gasp and bite down on her neck. Rukia didn't feel the pain. All she could feel was the pleasure.

Ichigo continued to pump slowly into her as she rocked back and forth, and knew he wasn't going to last a great deal longer. He was damned if he was going to leave her unsatisfied, and so one hand came off her hip, to play with her pussy lips.

Rukia's eyes rolled back in her head when his fingers came back into contact with her clit. It was like a jolt of electricity, spreading throughout her body. Only the jolt didn't stop, it continued as he rolled the small pink tip between his fingers. And then Rukia was gone. She was over the edge, the point of no return. She screamed his name as she came, drenching his cock in her juices.

Ichigo felt her pussy contract and spasm around his rod, and that was it. She screamed his name and he exploded, filling her with his seed. Rukia was shaking, shuddering as she rode the high of her orgasm, propping herself up with her arms on his chest. Ichigo felt the shuddering of Rukia's body stop, and their mixed juices begin to leak out of her body and onto their thighs.

He wrapped his arms around her small body as she collapsed onto his chest, completely spent.

"Next time, I'll do all the work." He whispered in her ear, and she smiled in anticipation.

"Maybe we can do it somewhere more comfortable next time." Rukia replied, still whispering, and Ichigo nodded enthusiastically.

Ichigo was still hard as he pulled out of her, and Rukia gave a small whimper as she felt him moving inside of her. Once again resting her head on his chest, Rukia fell back into the land of dreams.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia awoke slowly, feeling sore between her legs. She moved them experimentally, and found she could still feel their juices rubbing against her thighs, although they were sore too. Damn that Ichigo. She'd be better used to it next time, she decided.

"Hey there, beautiful."

Rukia looked up and found her eyesight invaded by a field of orange once again. He looked extremely pleased with himself. Smug, actually.

"Beautiful?"

"Don't expect me to be like that all the time, this was a special occasion." He told her lazily.

Rukia smiled. That was the Ichigo she knew and loved. "What now?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'd like to do that again, but I figure you'd rather wait until we get back home."

She raised an eyebrow of her own. "No, I mean what do we do now? You destroyed what was left of my clothes, and I am most certainly not going back with no clothes and—and a hickey! You gave me a hickey!" She seemed outraged. It was cute.

Ichigo chuckled as she ran her hands over the raised mark on her neck. "You didn't complain at the time." Then he thought for a moment. "Wait, does that mean you want to go for another round?"

She fixed him with a stern eye. "Not until I get some new clothes."

Ichigo sighed. "Fine. I've got no idea where I'm going to find you some new clothes though."

They were interrupted by a third voice, and Ichigo threw Rukia behind him, sweeping Tensa Zangetsu into his hands and dropping into a defensive crouch.

"Haha, you finally managed to score, Kurosaki. Looks like I can't tease you about being an impotent virgin anymore."

Ichigo felt the flat of Rukia's blade resting on his shoulder and bit back a vicious growl. "If you peeked you bastard, I swear I'll--" He was cut off mid-sentence.

"Don't worry, I didn't perv on your woman. Now put some clothes on and get out here. I don't have all day, so hurry the fuck up."

Ichigo grumbled as he pulled what passed for his shihakusho back on. Rukia tapped him on the shoulder.

"Who is it?" She hissed.

"It's Grimmjow. If he says anything smart about you, I'll clock him."

Rukia tensed slightly. While she had met with Grimmjow since he had tried to kill her, they still enjoyed a somewhat cool relationship, keeping it strictly professional, with none of the friendly banter between them that Ichigo and Renji had. Ichigo ducked out of the cave, leaving Rukia with only her zanpukutou to cover her.

"What do you want, Grimmjow?" Ichigo scowled at him.

Grimmjow chuckled. "I felt a shinigami reiatsu here, so I came to check it out. You guys are pretty close to a base of anti-Aizen Hollow."

Ichigo was surprised. "You mean Tempest and Bard?"

It was Grimmjow's turn to be surprised. "How do you know those guys?"

"We were sent on a mission by the Central 46 to investigate the area. We fought off some of Aizen's weaker Arrancar with them."

"Alright then. I haven't been there for a while, so I hadn't heard that." Grimmjow replied nonchalantly.

Ichigo fixed him with a serious gaze. "A lot has happened since we talked last. I need to fill you in."

Grimmjow sensed the change in Ichigo's mood, and gave him his full attention. Ichigo explained everything that had been happening in regards to the Central 46, from the three figures who controlled it, to the betrayal and Hollowfication of Rukia and his friends. At the end of it all, Grimmjow could only shake his head at the stupidity of shinigami. The he chuckled again.

"So it's the little hellfire Rukia you got in there? Long way to go for some privacy, isn't it?"

Ichigo scowled at him, but then noticed the white shirt that Grimmjow was wearing under his normal jacket. "Grimmjow, take off your clothes."

He was startled. "What? Hey, you just got some from your shinigami bird, don't be looking to me for more."

"Shut up Grimmjow. There's a reason we haven't gone back yet. Our clothes were destroyed when I fought Rukia's Hollow."

The chuckle from before turned into full blown laughter. "You mean she's back there without any clothes to cover her? Oh, that's too good."

He was cut off when a silver blade crept up to his throat from behind.

"I may be naked Grimmjow Jeagerjacques, but that doesn't make my sword any less sharp. Now take off your shirt and jacket." Rukia ordered in a deadly voice.

Grimmjow chuckled even as he removed his top clothing. He handed them back to Rukia, not missing the way Ichigo watched her keenly. He seemed very disappointed when Rukia pulled the shirt and jacket on, covering her down to her knees.

Grimmjow watched as Ichigo pulled the small woman to his side protectively. "You guys wanna come back to the base and say hello to Nel?"

Ichigo and Rukia both shuddered, Ichigo at the thought of the greeting he would inevitably receive, Rukia at what she would do once Nel gave that greeting.

"Maybe some other time." Ichigo stammered. "We really need to get back to the living world. Everyone will be thinking we're dead by now." Ichigo finished more strongly.

"Sure sure. I'll tell Nel you said 'hi', ey?" Grimmjow smirked.

"That's fine, Grimmjow." Rukia said slyly, and Grimmjow was suddenly on guard. "And I don't really mind if you let slip to Nel about how you found us."

Grimmjow nodded, and was suddenly very, very glad that Rukia wasn't the type to hold a grudge.

About some things, at least.

Grimmjow disappeared with a buzz of Sonido and a jaunty wave. Rukia turned to where Ichigo was standing with his head hunched over, rubbing his chin.

Rukia stared at him for a minute straight before speaking up. "So? Are you going to open the portal?"

"I'm trying, midget. I can't remember how." He scowled.

"You forgot?" Rukia deadpanned.

"I didn't forget." His scowl deepened. "I never knew how in the first place."

"So how did you bring us here in the first place?" Rukia closed her eyes. She could feel a headache coming on.

"Uhh...instinct?" Ichigo guessed nervously. The next second he was hopping around in a dance of pain that was all too familiar.

"You've got about five minutes to remember how you did it last time before that happens again." Rukia threatened. "I don't want to have to stand around wearing a shirt and jacket with no panties for any longer than I have to."

Ichigo gulped nervously. "Yes Ma'am."

Four and a half minutes later, and Ichigo wasn't any closer to remembering than he was when he started.

"Ichigo..." Rukia could feel a tic developing in her eye.

"I can't remember, alright! Last time, I just did it without thinking!"

Rukia stared at him like she thought he was some kind of idiot. "So just do it without thinking, idiot."

"It's not that eas..." Ichigo began to yell. Then he paused. "You know, that might work."

Yep. The headache was there in full force. And Ichigo was about to make it worse.

"Ah, Rukia..."

"Yes." It was an 'I'm at the end of my patience do not fuck with me' tone.

"Before when we...you know."

"Yes." Same tone.

"I ah, came in you. And I wasn't--"

"Wearing a condom. Ichigo, I might have been a virgin, but I'm not an idiot."

"And...?"

"I've been on the pill since just after Kyouraku-taicho's party. Urahara got it for me. Do you want to know how that conversation went?"

Ichigo gulped and decided he didn't want to pursue that avenue of conversation any longer.

And so he ripped open a Garganta without thinking about it.

He missed the glare Rukia gave him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Renji and Tatsuki were sitting with Soi Fon and Hitsugaya, taking the chance to commune with their zanpukutou, prepared in the event that their Hollow's would seize an opportunity to take control. According to Urahara, their 'condition' would proceed much faster than Ichigo's, as his hollow had been born into his soul naturally. Ishida, Inoue and Chad were talking quietly about their friends, wondering when they would return. Urahara had been sitting in the same spot for close to eight hours, barely moving, with Yoruichi at his side. She understood the guilt he was hiding.

Urahara stood abruptly, startling the other occupants of the large basement. There was a small grin on his face.

"They're baaaAAAck!" He practically sang.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo stepped out of the Garganta as it closed behind him, holding Rukia's hand in his own. Her other hand was preoccupied with keeping the hem of her borrowed shirt and jacket down. Ichigo looked around, taking in his surroundings.

"Hey, we're actually really close to the Vaizard's hideout." Ichigo commented.

Rukia concentrated for a moment. "We should hide out there for a while, at least until I get new clothes." She looked him over. "You, too. Then we can investigate the Urahara Shoten, see what happened since you took us to Hueco Mundo."

Ichigo nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

They descended to ground level, opting to enter through the main gate of the abandoned warehouse. Both of them kept their blades at the ready, wary of any potential traps. When a figure ran at them from the shadows, Rukia reacted instinctively.

"Bakudou Ich: Sai!"

Ichigo moved in, prepared to inflict a non-fatal wound. When he came within several feet of the downed man, he stopped. He would know that damn hat anywhere.

"What the hell are you trying to pull, Urahara?"

Urahara Kisuke raised his head from where he was bound on the ground. "Yare yare, can't I greet my own protégé as he returns victoriously with his damsel in distress?"

Damsel in distress? Rukia's eyes narrowed. They'd see who was distressed in a moment.

Ichigo sensed the change in Rukia's mood, and hurriedly went to placate her. As they squabbled, neither of them noticed the arrival of the other shinigami hiding out at the warehouse. Until a certain well endowed loud red head decided to interrupt their argument.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue chirped happily.

"Oh, hey Inoue." Ichigo hadn't noticed her presence while he had been so focused on Rukia. He felt something was off going by the expressions of his friends. "What?"

Ishida coughed delicately. "Your clothes..."

"They just couldn't keep their hands to themselves, could they?" Urahara had freed himself from Rukia's binding and was prancing around the couple.

"Oh no, Kurosaki-kun would never do a thing like that!" Inoue seemed scandalised.

Ichigo was beet red. "It happened during our fight! It was completely unintentional!"

"Tell me, Rukia, did Ichigo go all shy when he caught a glimpse of a woman's body?" Yoruichi asked slyly. Now it was Rukia's turn to blush. She knew very well that shyness was not a problem with Ichigo.

"Inoue! Fix our clothes. Please." Ichigo ground out.

Inoue perked up and encircled Ichigo and Rukia with a golden light. Within moments, their remaining injuries were healed, and more importantly, their clothes were restored. Rukia shrugged out of Grimmjow's shirt and jacket hurriedly, as Ichigo perfunctorily thanked Inoue, and returned to his shikai state, sheathing Zangetsu on his back.

"Now, can someone please fill us in on what happened since we've been gone?" Ichigo asked, frigid politeness dripping from every word.

"Of course, Kurosaki-kun." Urahara stated soberly. "We should relocate to the basement and make ourselves more comfortable before--" Suddenly he gasped, looking visibly shocked, and somehow, deeply amused..

"What is it Kisuke?" Yoruichi snapped out. She couldn't sense any threat.

"It's—it's—Rukia-chan! You've got a hickey!"

The sandal wearing shop owner collapsed to the floor, laughing hysterically.

**Cero Susurro translates as Whispering Cero. It's Spanish. Credit goes to Arcadia Silver for the translation to Spanish.**

**04/06/09—well, that's the edited version. I 'fixed' the lemon, made it less abrupt and maybe a lil more tender. I also showed Rukia's thoughts as she regained consciousness in her mind during the fight, and why she was so 'Orihime' in her actions (not fighting back, waiting for Ichigo to save her). Remember, she was practically raised a shinigami, her only experience of Hollow are the bad ones, and Ichigo's inner one. So in my mind this is a situation she's completely unprepared to deal with, and has no idea what to do. So she plans on waiting for Ichigo to defeat her Hollow, and then working to subdue it with him guiding her. **

**PS: Holy shit! I just checked it, and the lemon scene is almost 2000 words long! What the hell? Anyway, hope you enjoy it. Shoutout to Arcadia Silver, cause she's the one encouraged me to change it. And I'd like to hear all you guys thoughts on it, considering I was well on my way to being drunk when I first wrote it, before doing a spell check after I was sober again...**

**Oh, and do any of you Aussies watch State of Origin? Cause all I've got to say is......GO THE MAROONS!! MIGHTY MIGHTY QUEENSLAND!!! SEE YOU BLUES IN SYDNEY FOR GAME 2!!!!**

***ahem***

**Hope you enjoyed it.**


	13. Hollow Developments

**HUGE thanks to Arcadia Silver for bugging me about the last chapter. Thanks to her review, I've gone back and edited the last chapter, changing the lemon around and fixing Rukia's 'Inoue Syndrome'. Here's Chapter 13...**

**Oh, and I'm also in the process of drawing Renji's, Tatsuki's, and Rukia's Hollow masks. I'll be posting them on when I'm done......but don't expect any masterpieces.**

The din of arguing echoed around the large room. Each member wanted to make their opinions heard, some more vocally than others. Finally, the imposing figure that stood at the head of the two lines of figures raised his voice.

"This meeting shall come to order, and you will behave in a manner befitting your station!" The Captain-Commander, Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryusai ground out in a hard voice. Silence returned to the room reluctantly, and the leader of the Gotei 13 surveyed his Captains.

Unohana Retsu stood calmly, serene as always. Kuchiki Byakuya, the stoic noble, allowed no hint of his personal feelings to show on his face, despite his sister's situation. Komamura Sajin, ever loyal, stood proudly at his place in the line. Kyouraku Shunsui wore his every present grin, his flowery haori resting jauntily on his shoulders. Zaraki Kenpachi was bored, and made no attempt to hide it. In his mind, he knew what the right thing to do was. Find Ichigo, have a good fight, then bring him and his friends back to Sereitei like nothing had changed. Kurotsuchi Mayuri seemed pleased, like an evil little child the day before Christmas, waiting for everyone to find out he burnt the tree. No one knew of his role in the Hollowfication of three of the Gotei 13's most promising officers. Ukitake Joushirou was worried, and it showed clearly. He did not want to see another lieutenant consumed from the inside by a Hollow.

"Due to the recent defection of 2nd Squad Captain Soi Fon, and 10th Squad Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou, the Central 46 have decreed that the military strength of the Gotei 13 has dropped to unacceptable levels." Yamamoto paused before continuing. "They have taken steps to replenish our ranks." He slammed the base of his staff on the floor, using more force than usual. "You may enter." He called.

The doors to the Captain's meeting hall opened, revealing six figures. They entered, and an air of disdain for the already present Captain's was almost palpable. They each wore a Captain's haori, and the man bearing the mark of the 5th Squad spoke first.

"I am Nakajima Hayato, the new 5th Division Taicho." He took his place at Byakuya's side, smirking.

"Nakamura Sachike, 2nd Squad Taicho." Sachike moved to his place without further comment.

"Tanaka Hikari" He broke off, humming a broken tune. "3rd Squad." He skipped over to stand next to Unohana.

"My name is Hayashi Kaede, replacement for the 9th Squad Taicho."

"Shimizu Kimiko, new and improved 10th Squad Taicho." Shimizu flounced over to her place next to Kenpachi.

Kyouraku raised an eyebrow. "They certainly didn't waste any time replacing Soi Fon and Shiro-chan."

His sentiments were echoed silently by the original Gotei 13 Captains, many of who wondered just how the Central 46 managed to find replacements for two of the so recently vacated positions. Their attention was drawn to the sixth figure, still not introduced, when he spoke. Unless the Central 46 intended to create another Squad, they was one Captain too many in the room.

"I am Arakaki Kokoro." He stated simply. There was a feeling of confidence that radiated from him, and his eyes regarded all others as if they were somehow lesser than him. He was well muscled, and moved with grace, but was of a medium height. "The Central 46 has decided that I am to take the 11th Squad taicho's position. His lack of both Bankai and Shikai were cited as due cause."

Yamamoto rose from his chair, cutting off all response before the words formed in anyone's throat. "The Central 46 does not have the authority to dismiss Captain's except on criminal charges." He gave Arakaki a hard stare. "Are there such charges laid against the 11th Division Taicho?"

To the surprise of all in the room, Kenpachi gave a low, barking laugh. "I don't mind old man. I accept the 'demotion'."

Almost simultaneously, Unohana, Kyouraku and Ukitake gave out small sighs. They could each guess where this was going.

"Yachiru!" Kenpachi called, seemingly to no one, until his pink haired lieutenant poked her head over his shoulder.

"Yea, Ken-chan?"

"Head back to the Division, and bring 200 of the guys back here. Make sure you grab Ikkaku." Kenpachi gave a bloodthirsty smile as he announced his intentions.

"Sure, Kenny!" With a bound, Yachiru was off Kenpachi's shoulder and out the door. Shimizu blinked, amazed that the young child was a lieutenant. And the pink haired girl was shorter than her!

"Come on, whatever you call yourself." Kenpachi addressed Arakaki as he made to leave the room. "You wouldn't want to start your first day as a Captain with the reputation of a coward, would ya?"

Arakaki gave Kenpachi a pitying look. "I am the perfectly balanced warrior. I cannot be defeated by a mere berserker."

Yamamoto interrupted their argument with a slam of his cane on the ground. If he let things go, the two of them would start their fight right there. "We will discuss the matters of the rebel Captain's and hybrid entities after the conclusion of the challenge. You are all dismissed. Any who wish to watch the challenge may do so."

Yamamoto tapped his cane on the ground once more, ending the meeting.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Urahara was whimpering quietly. He clutched his fingers to his face, which were twisted at odd and decidedly painful looking angles. The broken fingers hid an equally broken nose, over which his eyes looked at Rukia fearfully, as she was restrained from further violence upon his person by Ichigo.

Inoue looked at Rukia disapprovingly. Kurosaki-kun would never go for such a violent woman. She was sure that the supposed hickey was just another wound sustained in battle. "Here, Urahara-san, let me heal you."

"Leave him alone for a while, Inoue. I'm not sure he's suffered enough yet." Rukia's tone was icy.

Inoue ignored her and proceeded to heal Urahara's injuries. The show owner had made no attempt to defend himself while Rukia had wreaked havoc upon his body, merely screaming for mercy in a much exaggerated way.

Ichigo watched as the last of Urahara's fingers righted themselves. "I think you owe us an explanation, Urahara-san. Cause it sure as hell seemed like you planned for everything to turn out the way it did." He finished in a much darker tone, and Ishida nodded, focusing on their mentor as his previously carefree mood deserted him.

Urahara nodded solemnly. "Very well. Please accompany me to the basement, so that we may be more comfortable."

Ichigo stared at Urahara's back as their group filed down the stairs, Rukia at his side. The old pervert was behaving far too seriously for his liking. One time in his life had he seen him use that tone, display that face.

The night he returned from rescuing Rukia, and Urahara apologized for using Rukia as a host for the Hogyoku and tricking them into cleaning up his mess.

Ichigo hoped the man they trusted hadn't used them again.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

They were all seated around the small wooden table that Urahara had imported to the Vaizard basement. Soi Fon and Hitsugaya sat side by side, an unlikely friendship beginning between the two of them, now that they were interacting beyond their professional environments. Across from them sat Ishida, Inoue, and Chad, who had been filled in on the events occurring in Sereitei previous to the living world battle. To their left sat the four Vaizard, staring at Urahara intently. Tatsuki sat at Renji's side, in much the same way that Rukia sat at Ichigo's, although Inoue told herself that it was only because Renji was with Tatsuki. Yoruichi sat at Urahara's side as he faced the Vaizard across the table, as Tessai had gone to the Urahara Shoten to retrieve Jinta and Ururu. Ichigo was the first to break the silence.

"Out with it Urahara. What did you do?"

All those gathered around the table, Yoruichi included, leaned in slightly to hear Urahara's response. It did not disappoint.

"I intentionally manipulated the situation, with complete knowledge of what the outcome would be, so that the three of you would become Vaizard, and Hitsugaya and Soi Fon be forced to take refuge in the living world as exiles from Soul Society."

There was silence for a heartbeat. Even Yoruichi was stunned at the extent to which Urahara had manipulated them all. Soi Fon could only acknowledge him as a master strategist, despite her personal feelings at being used in such a way. Hitsugaya and Ishida both analysed Urahara's move, trying to make sense of it before letting their feelings cloud their judgment. Inoue and Chad felt let down by his actions, although Chad maintained hope that Urahara had his reasons.

But none of them were effected as much as the four Vaizard facing the man responsible for their predicament. Renji, Tatsuki, Rukia, they were each of them shocked to the core by the revelation. Urahara was a man they trusted, relied on for guidance, and he had seemingly stabbed them in the back. The three of them were deeply confused, and also felt slightly betrayed.

But it was Ichigo that Urahara was watching. The shinigami's brown eyes had hardened at Urahara's revelation, and Urahara could feel a storm coming. Ichigo's wrath exploded without warning. He stood up, screaming his rage.

"_YOU_ TURNED THEM!?! TWISTED THEIR SOULS!?! MADE THEM LIKE _ME_?!?" Ichigo's reiatsu poured over them all, showcasing his fury.

All at the table were taken back by the violence of his response, and yet Urahara stared at him without emotion. Only his eyes betrayed his guilt and self-loathing.

"Ichigo..." Rukia stared at him, his words registering in her mind. The way he had talked about his hollow, she had never guessed he was ashamed of it. Then she realized. He blamed himself for what happened. "BAKA!" She leapt to her feet and dealt him an almighty slap across the back of his head. "You think this is your fault? Without you, we would have been dead or in a cell as one of Kurotsuchi's experiments!"

At the mention of Kurotsuchi, Urahara's face momentarily darkened, before being wiped clean again, and Rukia continued. "We have no idea why Urahara did what he did. You can at least wait for him to explain before killing him."

Rukia's words registered dimly in Ichigo's ears, and he felt himself calming slowly. He took his seat again, and allowed Rukia to take his hand in her own.

The others were still shocked by Ichigo's outburst, and Inoue was watching him almost fearfully. Just then, he had felt like he did whenever he wore his mask. She shivered slightly.

"Rukia's right, Ichigo." Surprisingly, it was Renji who spoke. "Wait until he explains himself properly, and then we can judge him."

Tatsuki nodded in agreement, her eyes still narrowed at Urahara. "And if it's not good enough, we'll hold him down while you cut him up."

"So explain, Urahara." Rukia ordered.

Urahara nodded, relieved that they hadn't outright condemned him. He took a deep breath, before launching into his tale.

"Aizen has been gone for two years, vanished off the radar. We have no idea where he has been or what he has been up to. Imagine what he could do in two years. We know he has been recruiting, and we know he still has the Hogyoku. He formed the Espada in a few months. What army could he raise in a few years?" Urahara paused, allowing his words to sink in. "Add to this, the Central 46 is building their own army, preparing for a power struggle with the Gotei 13. We cannot have infighting at a time like this. Despite the relative peace we've had, we are still at war, and the Central 46 have built up a paramilitary force almost equal to the upper echelons of the Gotei 13 in strength." He eyed the two Gotei 13 Captain's. "If tension had continued to build as it did, there would have been fighting in the streets. By allowing the Central 46 to _believe_ they have the upper hand, to _believe_ we are outlaws doing nothing more than fighting to stay alive, we have drawn their strength out into the open, and more importantly, under the control of those who can use them to further our own goals."

"You turned us so the Gotei 13 would be revived, back to their previous strength." Tatsuki stated flatly.

Urahara winked slyly, a spark of his former flame returning. "Not only that, but there are still eight Captain level shinigami who have yet to be revealed. I also get two Captain's of my own to order around." He whipped out his fan, the crack overriding the protests of Hitsugaya and Soi Fon. "Added to that, there are now three more lieutenant level Vaizard in existence." At this, he almost smirked at the aforementioned three. "And if you think you've trained hard to get where you are now, you ain't seen nothing yet."

"The Gotei captain's, the Kagai captain's, and now this, your own personal army." Hitsugaya gestured around the table. "You think to match the Gotei 13 with two ex-captain's, two humans, a Quincy, and four Vaizard?"

"But of course, Hitsugaya-san." Urahara's eyes twinkled over his fan, even though they remained somewhat haunted. "You know as well as I do, that with training these three have Captain potential."

Hitsugaya turned to regard the three new Vaizard, somewhat taken back by Urahara's announcement.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Urahara-san." Rukia commented dryly.

"On top of their shinigami potential, there is also the raw power now available to them through their Hollow side." Urahara continued as if he hadn't heard Rukia's comment. "You've had a glimpse of the power Kurosaki-san wields through his mask. Each of them will have their own unique powers."

Ichigo considered all Urahara had revealed to them. The man was ruthless, and was willing to do whatever he deemed necessary to secure victory. By allowing the Central 46 plan to succeed, he had ensured an influx of power to the Gotei 13, and the living world. He thought about the power he had gained through his Hollow, and the power his friends would gain through their own. He had made them stronger, given them the strength to make a difference. All they had to do was tame it.

Yoruichi watched Ichigo as he made his decision. His expression was indecipherable, as he met the eyes of Renji, then Tatsuki, and finally Rukia. Then his gaze moved back to Urahara.

"Alright." He stated evenly. "You are forgiven."

Urahara felt relief beyond any he had felt before. He had done what was necessary, and had been prepared to deal with the consequences of his decisions. He hadn't wanted the animosity he truly deserved, but he had been prepared for it.

Ichigo understood what Urahara had risked, and the struggle he had within himself, and he knew that put in the same situation, he may not have acted so differently. He decided to put Urahara-san at ease once and for all.

"So, what's the plan now...." Ichigo paused, allowing a smirk to grow on his face. "Urahara-Soutaicho?"

The shop owners eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ikkaku and Yumichika stood in the front row, Yachiru smiling happily in between them. They had fought tooth and nail to earn their position, but both had been taken back by the ferocity Yachiru had displayed when told she wouldn't be able to watch from the front row. Now the three of them watched their true Captain as he faced off against the pretender wearing his haori.

Kenpachi grinned at his opponent as the last of the 200 witnesses piled into the 1st Division courtyard. All of the Captain's, minus the Soutaicho were present, each of them backing their own comrade. The Gotei captain's were standing behind Kenpachi, while the Kagai newcomers stood behind Arakaki.

Kenpachi turned, showing his back to Arakaki, who looked extremely offended. He approached Yachiru, before kneeling in front of her.

"Hey, Yachiru, I need you to do something for me." Kenpachi spoke quietly.

"Anything, Ken-chan!" She bounced up and down on the spot.

"Take the bells out of my hair. If this guy fancies himself the perfect warrior, I wanna see what he's really made of."

Ikkaku stared as Yachiru happily complied. His Captain looked different without his bells, and the difference was compounded when Kenpachi pulled his hair down out of its spikes, reverting to the style he wore when he first became the 11th Division Captain—through the same method he was about to partake in now.

"What's wrong, Madarame? Think I'm a woman with my hair down like this?" Kenpachi eyed him.

Ikkaku chuckled in reply. "Nope. Just wondering if your opponent is the type for hair pulling."

Kenpachi chuckled with a feral gleam in his visible eye as he returned to his place in the centre of the courtyard, swinging his jagged blade experimentally.

Arakaki bowed stiffly before speaking. "Since you have no shikai, I will refrain from using my own. It would not be fair to take advantage of you in this way." He finished, somewhat pompously.

Kenpachi tilted his head back as he considered his opponent's words. "Alright. Since you're doing that for me, I'll let you take a free shot at me. You can come at me any way you like. Hell, you can try to take my head off if you want to."

Arakaki exhaled sharply. "Overconfident brute. Very well, if you insist on dying like a lamb led to slaughter...." He drew his blade, a long katana with one edge. He would carve the brute from his left shoulder to his right hip, leaving his torso barely attached to his lower body.

Zaraki's grin grew ever wider as Arakaki's blade cut into his shoulder, and Arakaki felt a small amount of self satisfaction as his blade cut through his skin. The feeling disappeared when his blade suddenly encountered resistance, coming into contact with the bigger man's collar bone.

"Didn't even break the bone? That's disappointing."

Arakaki leapt back as Kenpachi delivered a powerful counter blow, barely avoiding the tip of the blade. He slashed his opponent across the chest, and as the blood spurted out from the cut, raucous cheering erupted from Kenpachi's Squad.

Arakaki let a small smile creep onto his face. Even the man's own Squad wanted him to lose.

Kenpachi continued his heavy handed strokes, the sadistic grin never leaving his face as Arakaki inflicted more and more wounds on him, and avoided or blocked almost all attempts at retaliation. Arakaki frowned. The man wasn't even trying to avoid his attacks. He angled his blade to approach from Kenpachi's blind side, only to feel surprise as he jerked back, avoiding being cut there.

Arakaki spoke confidently. "So you're weak near your eye? That's the first time you've tried to avoid being cut."

"You're mistaking weakness for wanting to draw out the fight." Kenpachi replied maniacally.

"We'll see." Arakaki taunted. It was then that he realized that all the shinigami who roared every time he inflicted a wound on their Captain were actually chanting Zaraki's name. Surely they didn't enjoy seeing their Captain bloodied?

Arakaki shook his head and launched a blistering attack on Kenpachi, inflicting three cuts for every one he received. He made an upwards stab, but changed its direction at the last minute, aiming at the bigger man's face...and grinned as he sliced through the thread holding his eye patch over his eye.

Suddenly the entire courtyard was quiet.

"Bad move." Zaraki spoke quietly.

Arakaki was forced back by the explosion that was Zaraki Kenpachi unleashed. Fear showed clearly on his features, and he knew he was outclassed.

"Leap--" Arakaki made to release his zanpukutou, but found himself unable to breath. He looked down, and saw Kenpachi's blade sticking out of his chest.

"And here I thought you were gonna keep your word." Kenpachi sounded bored. "You're gonna die now, so I'm not interested in you anymore."

The last thing Arakaki felt in his existence was his enemy's blade being pulled from his chest, and then the darkness claimed him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo yawned and threw another pebble at Renji as he rested against a large boulder. Renji caught it on his arm and retaliated with a pebble of his own from his sitting position.

The two dark haired women watching them sighed at their antics and returned to their conversation.

After Urahara's revelations, the group had split up, taking time to assimilate all that the shop owner had told them. Urahara and Yoruichi were talking quietly with Hitsugaya and Soi Fon near the entrance to the basement, and had been joined by Tessai with Ururu and Jinta when he returned. Inoue had been staring somewhat disturbingly at Ichigo, until Ishida and Chad had taken her away, saying that they needed to grab some things from their homes. The newly turned Vaizard's were sitting on their own, near the centre of the room, just taking the time to absorb all that Urahara revealed.

And now Ichigo and Renji were bored, and had resorted to throwing pebbles at each other. Their immaturity was irritating the nearby womenfolk, to say the least.

"Just pull them out and measure them already!" Tatsuki had finally had enough of the pebble throwing.

Renji smirked at Ichigo. "I wouldn't want to embarrass the Strawberry." His smirk grew, and he lay his sword across his lap. "We all know how long _Zabimaru _is."

Ichigo scowled at Renji. "_Zabimaru_ can be as long as you want, _Pineapple_, it doesn't mean a damn thing if you don't know how to 'wield' it."

"Oh? You're saying that _Zangetsu_ isn't long?" Renji taunted.

It was Ichigo's turn to smirk. "Not at all." He grabbed the giant meat cleaver that was his sword and lay it across his own lap. "You can see its size for yourself. _And_ I know how to use it." He coughed. "Unlike some people."

Renji leapt to his feet. "You wanna go?" He roared.

"Bring it Pineapple head!" Ichigo leapt up to match Renji.

"Let's go then Strawberry!"

Rukia shook her head as the two men continued their arguing. Despite their mock anger, she could see they were both actually enjoying arguing with their friend. Not that they would ever admit that, of course.

"Want to go watch?" Tatsuki offered.

Rukia gave a small grin. "Sure. And then when they're finished, we can beat them up for being so stupid."

Renji faced Ichigo with a grin on his face.

"Howl, Zabimaru."

Ichigo hefted his blade as the bandages fell from it. He smirked once, and then charged towards Renji, his blade held at his side.

Renji met Ichigo's strike, and kneed him in the gut. Ichigo felt the breath forced from his stomach, and darted back to recover from his winding. Renji took the opportunity to extend his blade, wielding it as a whip. Ichigo was forced to twist and turn to avoid the blade, looking for an opening and finding it—which he took. Flash stepping through Renji's guard, Ichigo brought his sword up to deliver a slash to Renji's shoulder; only to feel the tip of Zabimaru to rush towards him.

Ichigo blocked the blow with one hand on Zangetsu, grinning as Renji's eyes widened. He pulled back his other fist, and cracked him hard on the chin. Renji's head snapped back, and he brought his blade around to shield himself as he recovered.

Ichigo could still feel the blow to his gut, and was glad when he saw Renji rubbing his chin angrily. He grinned when he felt Renji begin to raise his reiatsu, and saw that the ex-captains as well as Tatsuki and Rukia had wandered over to watch their fight.

Ichigo set himself, and began to raise his own reiatsu. He faltered when Renji shook and clapped his hand to his face. No. It couldn't be his Hollow, not this quickly and from only that much reiatsu use.

When Renji's hand dropped from his face, his half Hollow mask was revealed. His golden eyes regarded Ichigo coolly.

"**It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Ichigo-san.**" Renji's Hollow voice was deep, controlled.

"Renji, snap out of it!" Tatsuki called to him in a tight voice.

"**Ah, the Queen.**" Hollow Renji bowed slightly.

"Don't give me that shit." Tatsuki snarled, her reiatsu spiking. Suddenly, she clapped her hands to her own face, overcome by her Hollow. Ichigo could see the darkness spreading across her eyes.

Rukia drew her zanpukutou and prepared to freeze her friends in place, when she felt an oncoming rush of pressure in her head. **My turn, Queen.**

Ichigo stared in disbelief at his nakama—or rather, their Hollow, as they stared back at him with varying expressions. Then he scowled.

"This is some bullshit."

There was a breeze, and the ex-captain's appeared arrayed around Ichigo.

"Indeed it is some bullshit, Kurosaki-san." Urahara seemed almost amused.

The three Inner Hollow continued to watch them, surprising Ichigo in that they weren't attacking.

"**They look strong. Let's fight them.**" Hollow Tatsuki spoke greedily.

Huh. So much for not attacking.

"**Don't kill the orange one. I want to play with him.**" Hollow Rukia licked her lips as she spoke.

"**It would please me to pit myself against opponents such as these.**" Hollow Renji conceded, and Ichigo shook his head. Seeing such an about face in Renji's personality—Hollow or not—was definitely weird.

But then Ichigo felt a cold sensation on his left shoulder. He turned to see what had caused it.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!?!"

Hichigo was grinning back at him, his neck and head protruding from Ichigo's shoulder.

"**Hey, King. I did say I'd act as a go between for when this happened. And I hate to say it but....I told ya so.**"

Hichigo 'stepped' out of Ichigo's body, fixing his fellow Hollow with an eerie grin. "**Hey guys.**"

Hollow Rukia snorted. "**You again. How's it going, Horse?**"

Hichigo clapped a hand to his heart. "**So you **_**did**_** notice my size when the King and Queen got busy.**" He made a thrusting motion towards Hollow Rukia.

Ichigo studiously avoided looking at Urahara and Yoruichi's smirking faces. "What do you want?" He asked forcefully. "More to the point, how the hell did you come out?"

It was Hollow Renji who answered him. "**Your Horse had a hard time rebelling against you, Ichigo-san. The three of us will attain victory easily.**"

"And why's that?" Ichigo scowled at him.

"**Ah ah, that would be telling.**" Hollow Renji wagged his finger at him.

"**It's cause there's three of us together, dipshit! We feed of each others reiatsu!**" Hollow Tatsuki sneered at Ichigo.

"**Who's the dipshit now, bitch?**" Hichigo sneered in return. "**That's my job done King. As agreed.**"

Hollow Rukia was staring at Hichigo intently. "**If your job is done, then get over here. The Queen fucked the King, now I wanna bang the Horse.**"

Hichigo grinned and began to strut towards Hollow Rukia, when he felt a wave of anger radiate from Ichigo. "Hichigo. Get back in. _Now._"

Hichigo sighed and waved his fingers at Hollow Rukia in mock sadness, before slowly fading away. He gave her one last wink before fully disappearing though, a wink that promised he would be back to take her up on her offer.

Hollow Tatsuki pouted as Hichigo disappeared. "**I wanted to fight him.**" Then she brightened. "**If I can't fight, we could fuck if you wanted to.**" She addressed Hollow Renji.

"Oh, this is just too twisted. Why are Inner Hollow so damn horny?" Ichigo moaned. His gaze was drawn to Hollow Rukia, who had begun to palm her breasts.

Ichigo prepared to charge forward and shatter her mask. He wasn't going to let her do that to Rukia's body when others were watching. He noticed Soi Fon and Hitsugaya had turned away from the Hollow's antics.

Ichigo was relieved when one of Rukia's hands shot to her face, leaving the other at her breast, as she began to rip her mask from her face.

"**Don't wanna, don't wanna, don't wanna, don't wanna.**" Hollow Rukia repeated it like a mantra as she struggled, even as the mask cracked and splintered.

It fell from her face, leaving Rukia looking disheveled and sweaty. She looked around for Ichigo, only to blush when she realized her hand was still clutching her breast. She quickly ran over to stand at Ichigo's side.

"**That was surprising.**" Hollow Renji spoke calmly even as he groped Hollow Tatsuki's breast, his arm slung over her shoulder. Hollow Tatsuki seemed far too interested in his actions to care about Rukia's reemergence.

The next second, Yoruichi had appeared in front of Hollow Tatsuki, snap-kicking her in the face. Urahara had merely approached Hollow Renji, smiling politely, before bowing and jabbing Hollow Renji's surprised looking mask with his cane.

Almost immediately, Renji and Tatsuki realized the embarrassing position they were in, and Renji removed his hand from her breast. He kept it around her shoulder though.

"Yare yare, it looks like we've got a bit of a problem here." Urahara announced. "Whatever shall we do?"

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow at his words. "We need to seperate you." She told the Vaizard seriously.

"I'm not leaving Rukia." Ichigo announced immediately.

"Same with Tatsuki." Renji chimed in.

Urahara rubbed his chin. "In groups of two, things should be controllable, especially since Kurosaki-san has already tamed his Hollow."

**Tamed? Bullshit! I ain't tamed!**

Ichigo ignored the ravings of his Hollow. "What're you saying we do, Mr. Hat 'n' Clogs? Go to another part of Karakura?"

Urahara's tone became serious. "I was thinking of a distance rather larger than that."

"Like what, another country?" Tatsuki asked skeptically.

Urahara fixed Ichigo with a mischievous eye. "How do you feel about holidaying in Hueco Mundo, Kurosaki-san?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Close to an hour later, after several gargantuan arguments, and not a few screaming matches, Ichigo and Rukia were preparing to leave for Hueco Mundo. Ichigo wasn't happy about taking Rukia back to Hueco Mundo, and was dead set against it until Urahara explained that staying here would only help her Hollow. Even then, he argued that she would be exposed to far more Hollow reiatsu in Hueco Mundo than in the living world, but Urahara had hit back by explaining that it was Vaizard reiatsu that was encouraging the Inner Hollow, not straight Hollow reiatsu. Every time Ichigo had brought up another point against going, Urahara had brought one up negating it, until the two men were often reduced to screaming in each others faces. To the observers, it was rather amusing, and even the two participants had admitted it would have been rather funny to watch (not to each other, of course).

"Ichigo, before you leave, you should see your family. It might be a while before you get the chance again." Yoruichi said calmly. She knew just by looking at him that he wanted nothing more than to do just that, but was afraid of putting his family in any more danger.

"You should do it, Ichigo. I'd like to say goodbye too."

Ichigo looked at Rukia, knowing that his family was important to her as well. He gave in. "Alright. We'll go there before I make the Garganta."

Rukia smiled happily and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Ichigo."

He waved her off, embarrassed by Yoruichi's knowing smile. "Yeah yeah. I just hope goat chin isn't there."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"ICHIGOOOOO!!! MY SON!!!!"

A crash that was probably heard in Sereitei echoed around the neighbourhood as Ichigo avoided his fathers leaping attack, before slamming the elder Kurosaki in the ground.

"I have no idea how we're related." Ichigo muttered as he walked through the door, Rukia at his side.

"Hey, Karin, Yuzu."

"Yo." Karin gave them both a wave from her seat on the couch..

"Hello Ichi-nii, Rukia-nee." Yuzu was cooking something delicious smelling in the oven.

"What's cooking, Yuzu?"

"It's lasagna! I'm trying something new!"

Rukia smiled at Yuzu's cheerfulness as Ichigo replied. "Is there enough for us?"

"Of course Ichi-nii!" Yuzu seemed shocked that he would ask such a thing.

"ICHIGO! HAVE YOU GOTTEN RUKIA-CHAN PREGNANT?"

"WHY DOES EVERYTHING YOU SAY HAVE TO BE SHOUTED!?! AND NO, I DIDN'T GET HER PREGNANT!"

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, MY BOY?"

Rukia sighed and began to help Yuzu set the table as the shouting match degenerated into a brawl. Once that was done, she watched as Yuzu brought the piping hot lasagna dish to the table. Karin plonked herself down into a seat.

"Oi, idiots! Food is on the table!" Karin called to her brother and father. They broke off fighting, but not without giving each other a glare that said it wasn't over.

Lunch with the Kurosaki's was...eventful. Rukia hadn't realized how much she had missed watching Ichigo and Isshin duel over every morsel on the table, accompanied by Yuzu attempting to calm them down while Karin stole their food while they were preoccupied. When lunch was finally over, Isshin turned to Ichigo seriously.

"You said you had something you wanted to tell us."

Ichigo nodded, steeling himself. "Me and Rukia have to go away for a while."

Isshin nodded understandably, while Karin's eyes hardened. It was Yuzu who was affected the most. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she fought to keep them back.

"Rukia-nee only just got here! Why do you have to leave?"

Ichigo took his sister's hand in his own, holding it comfortingly. "I can't tell you that, the I say the better."

Yuzu nodded tearfully, understanding. "How long will you be gone for?"

"I'm not sure, Yuzu."

Karin stood, grabbing her plate to take to the sink. "Be careful, Ichi-nii." She turned, before pausing. "You too, Rukia-nee."

Rukia smiled sadly, happy that Karin had called her Rukia-nee, but sad that it had taken them going away to bring it about.

Ichigo turned to Isshin as the older man cleared his throat, actually expecting the old man to say something serious. "Make sure you take care of her, Ichigo." He cleared his throat, and a sly look came into his eye. "Because I still want grandchildren from the two of you!"

A vein on Ichigo's forehead twitched, but Rukia grinned and answered for him. "I'll be sure to stay alive to fulfill your expectations, Isshin-san."

Ichigo blushed, and Isshin winked at the two of them. "Please, call me Otou-san."

It was Rukia's turn to blush, as the two Vaizard rose from the table. Ichigo fixed his family firmly in his mind one last time before leaving.

"We'll be back as soon as we can. I promise." Ichigo stated firmly. He took Rukia's hand as they left the room, and walked out into the street.

"Nii-chan! Wait!"

Ichigo turned when he heard Yuzu's cry, and found her crashing into him, crying softly. "Please be careful, Nii-chan. Take care of Nee-san."

Ichigo wrapped his arms around his sister, comforting her one last time. "I promised, Yuzu. And you know I keep my promises."

Yuzu laughed, wiping her eyes. "I know, Nii-chan. I'll see you when you get back."

Ichigo watched as Rukia embraced Yuzu as well, before turning and heading towards the Vaizard hideout with one last wave for Yuzu. He saw Karin watching from the house and nodded in her direction.

What he didn't see was the figure wearing the nondescript uniform of the Secret Mobile Corps, watching as he farewelled his family, taking close note of how important they were to him. He didn't see how the figure's eyes memorised Yuzu's description, knowing that even a being as powerful as Kurosaki Ichigo had his weaknesses.

**You guys so owe me for pumping this chapter out. I should be studying for end of semester exams, but instead, I'm typing this up. So I expect many good reviews from you all.**

**Don't worry, I'm not going to say I won't update if you don't review…**

**But there will be a lack of updates for perhaps the next two weeks—if I'm responsible, that is. Exams start next Wednesday, and finish two Fridays after that. So until then, study study study. **

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	14. Sanctuary

**Warning: Large dose of Crack at the start of this chapter....**

Ichigo knocked loudly on the corrugated metal sliding door to the Vaizard hideout. They needed a safe location to leave their bodies, and to take care of any last minute details. Ichigo bashed on the sliding door again, as he couldn't hear any movement on the other side. He was about to kick it in, when the door was drawn upwards, revealing an overly happy and grinning Urahara.

"Welcome back, Kurosaki-san."

"We need to leave our bodies here." Ichigo told him abruptly.

"But of course. I have something for each of you as well." Urahara replied seriously.

Ichigo and Rukia shared a glance before entering the dark warehouse, hearing the door slide shut behind them.

Urahara led them off to a corner of the warehouse. "If the two of you would mind exiting your bodies?"

They left their bodies, Rukia using a gikongan and Ichigo using his Substitutes License. Rukia directed Pyon, the gikongan, to carry Ichigo's body after them.

They followed Urahara down the dark stair case that led to the basement. When they neared the exit, Urahara handed both of them what appeared to be a piece of dark cloth.

"Now would you put those on, please." His tone was serious, and had no trace of his normal mocking, but Ichigo still had to ask.

"We don't have to call out some crazy phrase, do we? Cause I ain't falling for that again."

Urahara chuckled slightly. "Don't worry, Kurosaki-san. I'm deadly serious."

Ichigo ran his hands over the cloth, finding what appeared to be a pair of sleeves. He slipped his arms though them, and adjusted the material so it was sitting comfortably on his back.

Urahara led them down the final steps, out into the harsh artificial light of the basement....and Ichigo let out a curse.

"What the hell Urahara?!?"

Urahara leapt away from Ichigo. "It's not what you think!" He insisted.

Ichigo settled for a scowl when Urahara remained out of reach. Standing behind him, Rukia peered around to see the source of his aggravation. When she saw it, she sighed.

Arrayed before the stairs, stood Soi Fon, Hitsugaya, Renji, Tatsuki, Inoue, Chad, and Yoruichi....all wearing inverted Captain's haori's reminiscent of Urahara's own. They were a dark, almost black colour, with white diamonds ringing the base. Rukia looked down, and saw that the outfit that Urahara had presented the two of them was a matching version. The thing that caught Rukia's attention the most, however, was the large banner that was spread across the two rows, and the lettering that scrawled across it.

"League of Defense for the Living World and Ex-Captain's Club?" Rukia face screwed up as she read the banner.

"LDLWECC for short!" Urahara was grinning openly now, as he danced out of Ichigo's reach.

"I don't believe this..." Ichigo muttered as he began to take his haori off.

"Wait, Kurosaki-san! You get all sorts of nifty little door prizes if you join!"

Ichigo turned to face those already wearing the haori. "That's how he tricked you guys into it?"

Soi Fon blushed slightly. "Yoruichi-sama asked me to do it..."

Ichigo turned to Hitsugaya. "It felt weird not wearing a haori..." Hitsugaya seemed embarrassed to admit it.

"..." Chad remained silent.

"Urahara-san gave me a cookbook!" Inoue seemed extremely enthusiastic.

"Well maybe she'll cook something edible for once." Ichigo muttered to Rukia, before turning to Renji.

"Urahara kept calling me a freeloader until I put it on." Renji grumbled.

Tatsuki blushed heavily before answering the unspoken question. "Renji said I looked good in it."

Yoruichi grinned. "You have to ask?"

Ichigo grumbled to himself. He knew Yoruichi did it to annoy him. "How did Ishida get out of it?"

"I refuse to wear a title used to honor shinigami." Ishida spoke up from his position leaning against a nearby rock. Then he coughed. "Besides, my Quincy outfit looks much better, and a cape is much more stylish than a haori."

"And of course, it was Ishida-san who so graciously sewed the haori's in the first place!" Urahara sang, flapping his arms. Ichigo noticed what appeared to be a Quincy cross on the inside of his sleeve, but decided not to mention it.

"What do we get out of this, Hat 'n' Clogs?" Ichigo regarded Urahara.

He smiled evilly. "Well, for Rukia-chan, I have a rather large selection of Chappy merchandise...."

Rukia's breath caught in her chest. "Chappy!"

"...as well as a years subscription to Chappy Monthly." Urahara finished smugly.

"I'll do it!" Rukia's eyes were shining.

"Traitor." Ichigo muttered.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, Kurosaki-san." Urahara waved a finger at him, and produced a rather thick book. It appeared to be well worn, much loved, and filled with page marks. "For you, I have my very own, much used and treasured, Kama Sutra book! Now that you're with Rukia-chan, I'm sure you'll get much use out of—GAH!"

Urahara was sent toppling down the stairs, clutching at his bloody nose. The LDLWECC members couldn't help but chuckle at their antics, but Inoue appeared rather upset.

"Kurosaki-kun would never read a book like that!" She nodded fiercely. "And he and Kuchiki-kun are just friends!"

There was a dead silence. A very long, awkward dead silence. Before…

"I don't need any Kama Sutra book, pervert!" Ichigo shouted down at Urahara, his finger shaking as he pointed.

"Thinking up your own positions already, Ichigo?" Yoruichi called out, amidst more chuckling.

Urahara stood up sprightly as Ichigo blushed furiously. "In that case, I have your very own personalised decoder ring!"

Urahara bounded back up the stairs, but stumbled on the stair below Ichigo. He landed on his knee as his outstretched hand presented the ring to Ichigo.

There were a few twitters from their audience. When Ichigo realised that Urahara was down on one knee, holding a ring out for him, he kicked him in the face, propelling him back down to the base of the staircase, where he landed with a loud and painful thud.

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"You know I was joking about the Soutaicho thing, right?"

Urahara grinned - mysteriously - and flicked his fan over his mouth - mysteriously.

Ishida sighed. "It's too late for that, Kurosaki. It's all gone to his head."

Ichigo scowled. "Whatever. Are we done here? Cause the sooner we leave, the better."

**You just wanna get some alone time with the Queen. **

Ichigo's scowl deepened as he listened to his hollow. Urahara dragged his attention back to the present. "Here is your official LDLWECC decoder ring, Kurosaki-san!"

Ichigo brought his fist back to deck the eccentric shop owner in the face, but stopped when he realised just what he was holding. One small, black ring...

"You actually went back and found it?"

Urahara raised his eyebrows. "I'm flattered that you think I could track down a small ring that could be anywhere between Sereitei and Hueco Mundo, but I'm not quite that fantastic. This is just another reiatsu sealing ring that I happened to be lying about. They're quite often used by prodigy shinigami."

Ichigo puffed his chest out. "Hear that Rukia? _Prodigy_ shinigami."

Rukia glared at him, and Urahara coughed delicately. "Prodigy _five_ year olds, Kurosaki-san. Children who are incapable of controlling their reiatsu."

Ichigo blushed amidst the laughter of his girlfriend and so-called 'comrades'.

"That's it. We're leaving." He growled.

"Woah, wait up man!" Renji jumped down from his perch high on a boulder. Tatsuki leapt down after him, a frown on her face.

"Yeah, no goodbyes?"

Ichigo grinned sheepishly as Rukia sent him a reproachful look. "Sorry guys."

Rukia smiled at Tatsuki, stepping forward to embrace her. "We'll see you guys as soon as the Vaizard get back."

"Yeah. Don't go losing control until then." Ichigo told Renji gruffly, shaking his hand. He released his one time rival and friend's hand and stepped back, allowing Rukia to hug her childhood friend. Ichigo turned to Tatsuki.

"Keep yourself alive until we get back." Ichigo told her just as gruffly, pulling her into a rough embrace. Tatsuki blushed slightly as she responded, not used to showing affection to her friends.

"Worrying about me? You're the ones going to Hueco Mundo!" She retorted, as they pulled away.

Ichigo snorted. "Please. The Hollow are the ones who gotta look out." He turned to Soi Fon and Hitsugaya, who were watching the farewells from a distance with Yoruichi. For them he offered a smirk. Then he turned to his nakama, nodding to each of them, Ishida, the aloof Quincy, Chad, solid and dependable, and finally Inoue, enthusiastic and boun--

"Kurosaki-kun! I'm going to miss you so much!" Inoue ran towards him, close to tears. Ichigo swore he could see stars in her eyes. "You've got to return safely, so I'm giving you something to look forward to when you get back!"

"Inoue, what--"

Ichigo was cut off when his well-endowed friend grabbed the side of his head fiercely and planted her lips on his own. Ichigo turned bright red at the unwanted kiss. It was awkward, and somewhat slobbery. He felt relieved when Inoue pulled away, slightly embarrassed. The relief turned to irritation when he saw Renji giving him a lewd wink, and then to fear when he saw the expression on Rukia's face. It became full blown panic at Inoue's next statement though.

"I made you some food for the journey too! Wait here so I can get it!" Inoue dashed back up the stairs.

Ichigo paled dramatically. "Fuck that."

Grabbing a still fuming Rukia, who was about to give Inoue a very thorough piece of her mind, Ichigo tore open a Garganta and ran hurriedly through it.

The expressions on those remaining were varied, to say the least. As the Garganta slammed shut, there were several low chuckles, namely from Renji, Chad, and Urahara. Soi Fon and Hitsugaya merely looked indifferent, while Yoruichi and Tatsuki looked like they had a bad migraine coming on. Ishida looked slightly annoyed.

Inoue flounced back down the stairs, holding a container of dubious content. She frowned. "Kurosaki-kun already left?" A grin broke out across her face. "He must be eager to get back! I think I know why..." There was a victorious expression on her face. "Now, who wants to eat?"

There was a mass exodus of the immediate area.

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Ichigo stepped onto the sandy floor of Hueco Mundo, his eyes adjusting to the light cast by the crescent moon in the sky. He looked around, taking in their surroundings. Pale white sand, scattered trees, and a feeling of emptiness. Geez. You'd have more luck finding a Hollow in the living world.

"You brought us out fairly close to the Hollow encampment we fought at before..." Rukia stated, only half focusing on him. "How do you control where the portal leads?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Dunno. I just think about where I wanna go and that's where I end up."

**Dumbass. It's cause I'm in here guiding ya.**

Ichigo ignored his hollow as Rukia made her reply with a deadpan expression. "You mean we could have ended up anywhere in Hueco Mundo?"

"Nope. I just told you the Garganta ends up where I think about." Ichigo replied smugly.

Rukia seemed to sag, before sighing heavily. Then she delivered a savage kick to his shins. "Sorry." She spoke in a sickly sweet voice. "My foot just ends up where I think about putting it."

Ichigo scowled but didn't retaliate. "Let's get going then. You just know how eager I am to see Nel again."

"Maybe I can catch up with Grimmjow while you guys are talking." Rukia retorted, not liking the way she felt about the thought of Ichigo and Nel together. The way Inoue had behaved was bad enough.

"C'mere, midget."

Rukia gave a yelp when she felt herself being scooped up into a strong pair of arms bridal style. She stiffened, before settling into his embrace, albeit somewhat grudgingly, as Ichigo began to flash step towards their destination.

"I like my women dark haired, with fiery tempers, strong kicks, normal sized chests," Ichigo winced as her nails dug into him. "and short." Ichigo informed her, and Rukia allowed herself to enjoy her current position a bit more. "And while I know you have a thing for guys with weird hair colours," Here Rukia pinched him on the chest. "I also know you prefer orange over blue. So stop taunting me." Rukia began to smooth over the area she had so viciously pinched.

"That doesn't mean you can be all chummy with tall, big breasted women who have light hair." Rukia warned, remembering Inoue's 'encouragement' for Ichigo to return.

Ichigo shuddered, knowing what she was talking about. "Don't worry. I'm just as traumatised about that as you are. Probably more so."

Rukia smiled at his obvious distaste at Inoue's actions, glad that her man wasn't hypnotised by a pair of large, ample, oversized, dangerous, boun--

"How're we gonna handle things when we get there?" Ichigo cut across her thoughts. "I mean, last time we were here things weren't exactly friendly with the lower level Hollow. Those two Vasto Lorde, Tempest and Bard, seemed alright, but only cause they're more evolved than the others." He seemed worried.

Rukia breathed in his scent as she reassured him. "Don't worry. We'll just keep to Grimmjow, Nel, and the Vasto Lorde. Especially with my...condition...I think we'll be fine." She thought for a moment. "How come you brought us here anyway?"

Rukia felt Ichigo shrug. "Figured it'd be better to hang around some allies. With at least Nel there, it'll make things easier to force your Hollow back in if she comes out." Rukia made an agreeing sound from her place on his chest. "By the way, do you have a name for her?" Ichigo inquired.

Rukia frowned into his chest. "I just call her 'the bitch' and leave it at that. You?"

**The bitch? That's not very nice Queen!**

Ichigo chuckled, unaware that her Hollow had spoken up inside her head. "Hichigo does just fine, but if I want to piss him off," **DON'T YOU DARE!! **"I call him Shiro-chan." Ichigo finished, still chuckling.

"Shiro-chan?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah, cause in my inner world he's all white."

Rukia laughed softly, and in his head Ichigo could hear his Hollow shouting all sorts of threats and curses.

"Have you seen your hollow yet?" Ichigo asked, still flash stepping across the empty landscape.

Rukia paused before answering. "No. I haven't actually been into my inner world since then."

"Have you talked to Sode no Shirayuki?"

Another pause, longer this time. "No....I'm afraid that she'll hate me for letting a hollow into my soul." Rukia admitted. It took a lot out of her.

Ichigo's flash step faltered as he heard her reply. "Never think that." He told her firmly. "Zangetsu was never put out with me when I gained mine. He even brought him out to teach me a lesson one time." He finished.

"Really?" Rukia looked up at him, meeting his gaze. Her eyes seemed hopeful.

"Really." Ichigo replied firmly. "You need to remember that they're there to help us, no matter how bad we fuck up."

Rukia chuckled slightly, mentally scolding herself for being to stupid. "I'm supposed to be the wise one here."

"What does your zanpukutou spirit look like?" Ichigo asked curiously. When Rukia stiffened slightly, he wondered if he had asked an inappropriate question. She replied hesitantly.

"She's very beautiful. Smart, wise..." Her voice trailed off. "Tall." She added, and elbowed Ichigo in the ribs when he chuckled at the last comment. "What about Zangetsu?"

Ichigo replied immediately. "He's tall, and looks like a wise old man, but powerful too, not all white haired and wrinkled....he's...he's just _there_, you know?" Then Ichigo added, almost as an afterthought. "And he's got a kick ass cloak and a pair of really cool sunnies."

Rukia smiled at how proud Ichigo was of his zanpukutou spirit. A comfortable silence developed between the two of them as Ichigo continued to flash step towards their destination, Rukia content to spend the journey in his arms. After a while, Ichigo spoke up once more.

"Did I say the wrong thing by asking you about your zanpukutou spirit?" He inquired.

Rukia shook her head slightly. "No, it's just not something that is often talked about in Soul Society. It's rather private, actually."

"So I did say the wrong thing?" Ichigo asked guiltily.

"No, baka. I'm comfortable with telling you. I was just surprised, that's all." Rukia explained softly.

Ichigo grinned, content with her explanation. Not even ten minutes on their own, and already he was learning more about the petite woman in his arms. He couldn't wait to learn more.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo came to a stop abruptly, as he approached the edge of the large sand dune that hid the Hollow base. Rukia leapt sprightly from his arms, resting one hand on her zanpukutou. She looked at him questioningly.

"I don't want a repeat of last time." He answered her unspoken question.

Rukia nodded, even as Ichigo removed the reiatsu controlling ring given to him by Urahara. "Nel probably already sensed us, but this way Grimmjow will know we're here too." Ichigo explained with a smirk, as his reiatsu began to flow outwards, a mix of Hollow and Shinigami.

"I heard that, Kurosaki." A scowling voice made itself known.

Rukia turned to face the newcomers, nodding a greeting to Grimmjow and Neliel. Ichigo was more verbal in his greeting.

"Suck it up Grimmjow." His smirk grew wider. "Hey, Nel."

Ichigo was knocked off his feet by a green blur, kicking up sand as he hit the ground. "Ichigo! You lied! You said you were just friends!" Nel sobbed hysterically into his shihakusho.

"Nel, wh--"

"Suck it up, Kurosaki." Grimmjow threw Ichigo's words back in his face. "She's been like this since I told her I caught you and the shinigami doing dirty deeds." He gave Ichigo a smirk of his own.

"Why did you do that?" Ichigo asked in irritation, even as Nel let him to his feet.

Grimmjow snorted. "Cause your woman asked me to."

Ichigo took one look at the smug look in Rukia's eyes before sighing heavily. There was only so much a woman would take from her man's female friends before making a stand. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Sorry Nel, but I'm with Rukia." He pulled her to his side, wrapping an arm around the small woman.

Nel gave one last sniff before smiling brightly at the pair. "That's ok! I knew you guys would end up together anyway!"

Both Vaizard looked put off by Nel's response. It was the complete opposite of what they were expecting (Ichigo had predicted screaming and a cat fight [torn clothing if he was lucky], while Rukia had been very much prepared to fight for her man).

"I knew you guys would take your sweet time unless you had some competition." Nel advised them wisely.

"I didn't need competition to start a relationship with Rukia!" Ichigo spluttered.

"Oh? So how long did it take you to make a move?" Nel raised an eyebrow.

"About two years..." Ichigo mumbled.

"Check and mate." Nel grinned victoriously.

A smug look came over Ichigo's face suddenly, and Rukia narrowed her eyes at him. What was he thinking?

"So Nel," Ichigo began. "If other women show interest in me, does that mean Rukia will give me more attention too?"

Nel narrowed her eyes at the orange haired Vaizard as well. She knew this was going somewhere... "It can." She replied cautiously. "Why do you want to know?"

Ichigo ignored her question. "So what would happen if another woman threw herself at me and stole a kiss, all while Rukia was watching?"

Rukia's eyes gleamed with painful intent. Oh, he was going to regret asking that question.

"First you would need to arrange the funeral for that other women. And Rukia-chan's reaction would depend on the type of kiss." Nel had caught on and was playing the game along with Ichigo, sending him a sly wink.

Rukia interrupted angrily. "First off, it wasn't a kiss, it was her drooling on your face! Second, my reaction will be to put you through a severe amount of pain to make sure you dodge any future attempts!" Her tirade was accompanied by an elbow strike to the ribs.

Ichigo rubbed his side painfully as Grimmjow interrupted their banter. "Why're you here again, Kurosaki? Last time I saw you guys, you were kinda desperate to get back to the living world."

Ichigo took on a serious demeanor. "We need a place to hide for a while. I'm not sure how long for."

That gained Grimmjow's attention. "What did you do now?"

"It'll take a bit of explaining. How bout we find somewhere more discreet?"

Nel and Grimmjow nodded, before leading the two Vaizard in the direction of their hideout.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"...and Urahara sent us here, so Rukia's inner hollow wouldn't be able to take control as easily as she had before." Ichigo concluded his explanation, leaving the two former Espada to absorb his words.

Rukia watched for their reaction, examining them as she did. They were in a chamber similar to the one they had talked in when they were last here, and Nel was wearing a green tank top and short shorts, revealing her midsection and a dangerously long pair of legs. Grimmjow had found another white jacket, but had not managed to replace the white shirt he had been wearing when Rukia had 'confiscated' it from him. He still wore the traditional Espada pants.

Grimmjow snorted suddenly. "Friggin shinigami. That behaviour's pretty bloody typical of em."

Nel made her thoughts known. "We both owe you a debt, Ichigo. You are welcome to stay as long as you need."

At the mention of their debt, Grimmjow scowled heavily. He might be more tolerant to the idea of being weaker than another fighter, but he was still the same being he was during the first Hueco Mundo incursion.

Nel continued with a warning. "The only problem you might encounter is friction with the stronger Adjuchas." Her mouth twisted into a small mocking smile. "You remember that they--"

"Promised to kill you the next time you came here? Yes, we did."

Ichigo turned to face the newcomers standing in the entrance, his hand clenching around Zangetsu's handle.

Harpis, the Adjuchas that had threatened Rukia on their last 'visit', stood in front of a group of six Adjuchas, their eyes fastened on Ichigo and Rukia.

"You had your warning. Now your head belongs to us." Harpis sneered at Rukia.

Ichigo stood, relaxing the bandage sheath on his blade. These Hollow had no inkling of who they were threatening. He was taken back when Rukia stood and stepped towards them on her own.

"Cowards are always brave in numbers." She challenged coldly. "Why don't you put yourself forward and face me yourself?"

Grimmjow and Ichigo snickered at the look—if you could call it that—on the mask that was Harpis' face. She couldn't believe that the small shinigami was actually talking back. But then her expression turned crafty.

"Ajax. Maybe you'd like to show the _shinigami_ your courage?"

The largest of the group, a hulking grey Adjuchas that was packed with muscles stepped forward, a cruel expression on its mask. It had short, stubby arms, that were tipped with savage looking claws. Its legs were extremely long, causing him to tower over his fellows, and they had several joints in them. Rukia treated him to her sickly sweet smile.

"Let's go outside, shall we? I wouldn't want to mess up your home."

Ajax nodded once, before turning and heading topside. Ichigo took Rukia aside before she could leave.

"You do know that using your power makes it easier for your hollow to take control?" Ichigo asked worriedly. "And they aren't going to back off when you kill one of them either, we'll have to kill them all."

Rukia placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Don't worry. I know you'll force her back in when she comes out."

Ichigo frowned. "When she comes out? Don't you mean if?"

Rukia gave him a genuine smile, before turning and leaving without another word. Grimmjow cackled at her cockiness, before following her out, Nel trailing behind him. Ichigo grabbed Nel's arm before she could leave completely.

"Be ready to shatter her mask." He warned her. Nel nodded, understanding.

Grimmjow turned back, overhearing the warning. "What?" He was confused.

"You'll see."

Rukia faced Ajax under the moonlight, as a gust of wind kicked sand up between them. It was a signal.

"Mae, Sode no Shirayuki."

Rukia wasted no time in releasing her zanpukutou, and Ajax barreled towards her, intent on crushing her under his weight.

"Tsugi no mae, Hakuren!"

Ajax was forced to leap to the side to avoid the powerful attack, caught off guard by the move so early in the fight. Landing heavily, he sprang forward—only to come face to face with another wave of ice. He leapt high in the air, giving himself more time to dodge any further attacks.

"Hadouno Sanjuusan, Soukatsui!"

A blue wave of kido roared towards the Adjuchas, forcing him to dodge with a buzz of Sonido. Rukia turned to face him, preparing another devastating attack. She had not moved from her original position, and now she faced Ajax as he hovered above Ichigo, Grimmjow and Nel.

Ichigo looked at her face intently, and grew troubled when he could see tendrils of black spreading across her left eye.

There was a much closer buzz of Sonido, and then Tempest and Bard were standing at the side of Nel and Grimmjow.

"What is the purpose of this fight?" Her words were soft spoken as always, but cut directly to the point.

"Yeah, nice to see you too Tempest." Ichigo grumbled. Tempest looked at him for a moment, before repeating her question.

"She's earning her right to be here. Talk to Nel if you want the full story." Ichigo answered.

Tempest turned to Nel, who launched into a extremely short version of Ichigo and Rukia's tale.

"She has an inner hollow. They need to hide out here for a while. The Adjuchas don't want that."

Tempest blinked at the explanation. After a moment, she managed a small, "I see."

Bard tapped Ichigo on the shoulder roughly. "Where's the short white one?"

Ichigo grinned at Bard's description of Hitsugaya. "He's in the living world right now. On the run from the Gotei 13, as it was. Actually, everyone you met last time we came here is on the run."

Ichigo turned to watch the fight once more, worrying about Rukia despite her reassurances. He almost missed Bard's next comment.

"I knew there was something good about him..."

In the midst of the battle, Rukia could feel the pressure of her hollow increasing. A murmuring sound filled her ears, building from the back of her skull.

**You think your man will save you? This time, I'm taking control and keeping it, Queenie!**

_So why is it that you still call me Queen, bitch?_ Rukia snarled back within her own mind.

Hollow Rukia remained silent, but her efforts to take control stepped up.

Rukia was fighting two battles, one on the outside against Ajax, as she fired off Kido after Kido, inter spread with her zanpukutou Dance's, and one on the inside, as she fought back against her hollow, determined to fight even with the intention of bringing her Hollow out.

Rukia felt the pressure at the back of her skull building, and her sight was overrun by the tendrils of black that streamed across her vision. There was a hollow roaring in here ears, and the last thing Rukia heard before she blacked out was a high pitched giggle.

Ajax grinned viciously when he saw his opponent falter, her head bowing down. Her constant Kido attacks had worn her down, and now he was going to make her pay for her mistake. He sprang forward, intending to rip the small shinigami limb from limb.

Her arm shot up, catching Ajax around the throat as he lunged, claws outstretched, for her throat. Her fingers began to squeeze, slowly slicing into his skin as Rukia's head began to rise, revealing two coal black eyes, and a sinister half-mask, the eye underlined in deepest blue, and snowflake teardrops falling from it. Hollow Rukia giggled as she decapitated Ajax with her bare hand.

Sode no Shirayuki gleamed in Hollow Rukia's hand as she turned to stare at the remaining Adjuchas. She licked her lips in anticipation.

Ichigo held Zangetsu unsheathed in his hands, ready to spring in and shatter Rukia's mask. But something still told him to wait. Nel and Grimmjow stood ready at his side, getting over their shock at seeing an unrestrained inner hollow. While both of them had witnessed Ichigo's fearsome countenance while he wore his mask, they had never seen Hichigo himself out and in control.

"Why are we waiting?" Grimmjow demanded. Nel nodded, silently seconding his question.

Ichigo paused before replying. "I want the survivors to know that Rukia isn't someone to be messed with. If we want to stay here, all the lower leveled Hollow need to fear us."

**Ha! Looks like you actually understand a little about us Hollow!**

_Shut up, Hichigo._

Rukia flash stepped toward the cluster of Adjuchas, landing in the middle of the pack. They turned to defend themselves as Hollow Rukia intoned the words that spelled their death.

"**Some no mae...Tsukishiro!**"

A column of ice exploded from the desert floor, consuming all but the swiftest of Adjuchas. Harpis and one other Hollow were all that made it out of the circle, abandoning five of their fellows to their fate.

"**The only Hollow that gets to kill the Queen is me.**"

Harpis turned in fear as she heard Hollow Rukia behind her, only to be met by a sword point piercing through her skull. Hollow Rukia gave an insane giggle as Harpis dissolved, accompanied by the shattering of the column of ice behind her.

"**Where's the King? We're gonna fight till you're nearly dead, and then we're gonna fuck until you are.**" Hollow Rukia announced, turning to face Ichigo.

Two bodies slammed into Hollow Rukia, pinning her down on the sand. She snarled as she saw Ichigo flying towards her, his blade aimed for her face. Ichigo pierced Rukia's mask and halted his blade's movement with iron control, before twisting the point and cracking the mask, watching it splinter and fall from her face.

The darkness fled from Rukia's eyes, and they regained their original lavender colour. Grimmjow and Nel stood back to allow her to regain her feet, even as Ichigo stepped forward to help her up.

"How bad was she?" Rukia asked in a shaky voice, as Grimmjow and Nel stepped back to confer with Tempest and Bard, giving Ichigo and Rukia some privacy.

Ichigo blushed before replying. "She wanted to fight me, and then..." He trailed off.

"Yes?" Rukia prompted him.

"And then she wanted to fuck me to death." Ichigo finished, crimson with embarrassment.

Rukia put a hand over her mouth with wide eyes. Ichigo held up his hands defensively.

"Her words, not mine!" He explained, his blush fading.

Rukia concentrated on her inner hollow. _Hands off bitch, that one is _mine. An insane giggle was her only reply.

"Well, that's one desire we share." Rukia murmured.

Ichigo's eyes widened in disbelief. "To kill me?"

Rukia smirked. "No, to fuck you. I'm still eager for round two."

Ichigo's blush returned in full strength, but then he took on a crafty expression. He leaned in, his warm breath tickling her neck. "Well, we _do_ have a lot of time to ourselves out here. Plenty of time for...practice?" He said the last bit as a question and a raised eyebrow, sending a pleasurable shiver down Rukia's spine at his tone.

They were interrupted from further banter by the approach of their Vasto Lorde and Arrancar friends, the surviving Adjuchas having long since vanished.

"You are Hollow, or at least part Hollow." Tempest stated evenly. "And you are enemies of Aizen. This place is a sanctuary for all such beings, and as such you are welcome here, so long as you do not disturb the peace."

Ichigo placed his arm around Rukia as they both gave a sigh of relief. They were sure to have plenty to do, and still have time for the aforementioned 'practice'. Things were looking up after the traumatic events during their last mission for Sereitei. They had found their sanctuary.

**Exams are almost over, only one left now...and on the upside, four and a half days off this week. :D. Bohh-nus. Cheers for the continued support, it's much appreciated. Now, if you guys would all click on the shiny, enticing review button....you'd just be making day. See you all next time, hope you've enjoyed the chapter.**

**Oh, and if any of you spot any holes in the plot, please let me know. It gets hard to juggle a few stories at once sometimes...**


	15. Conversations

**In case you guys missed it, this chapter, the last one, and the chapter before that all take place on the same day. Any questions, such as: can I have your autograph, how do you write so well, will you have my babies, just send me a pm.**

**I'm serious.**

"This wasn't the sort of practice I had in mind...."

Ichigo was staring dejectedly at Rukia. She had led him to a rather large cavern near the top of the cave system of their new sanctuary, luring him there with the promise of the 'practice' she had promised him. Needless to say, Ichigo had followed eagerly, only to be told by Rukia that it was time for him to learn how to use some decent Kido.

"Ruuuukiiiiaaaa...." Ichigo whined. "I can use Kido."

"You can use Bakudou Sai and Hadouno Byakurai." Rukia replied condescendingly. "That's like cooking pasta and calling yourself a chef."

" Ruuuuuuukiiiiiiiaaaaaaa..."

"No arguments." Rukia stated firmly. "I'm teaching you how to use proper Kido, and you're going to learn."

"Yes ma'am." Ichigo gave in sulkily.

"Now show me your Byakurai." Rukia commanded, her eyes narrowing. "If you haven't improved since last time, there'll be hell to pay."

Ichigo swallowed nervously and decided to forgo the chant, bracing his arm with his hand aimed at the ceiling. "Hadouno Shi, Byakurai!"

A colossal arc of lighting shot out from Ichigo's hand, warping to the side before impacting with the cavern roof, where it shook the barrier that Rukia had erected minutes previously.

Rukia blinked. Then she blinked again. "That was...." She trailed off.

Ichigo smirked. "Amazing? Awe-inspiring?"

"You idiot!" Rukia shrieked. "You still can't control your reiatsu, even with that ring on! Byakurai is supposed to be a small, precise shock, not a huge bolt!" Rukia compounded her statements by kicking him viciously in the shin. It was only then that she noticed the condition of his hand. "You idiot! You let it backfire on you!"

Ichigo examined his stinging hand. There were several lacerations over it, and the skin on the edge of them was charred. "I'm not really a small, precise kinda guy." Ichigo grumbled, even as Rukia grabbed his hand. "You want that, talk to Ishida. I'm more of a wide scale attack guy."

Rukia examined his injured hand, frowning as she did so. "Fool." She chastened. "You need to stop injuring yourself! One day I won't be there to patch you up. What will you do then?"

Ichigo poked his tongue out at her. "Probably get Inoue to heal me."

Rukia huffed and began to apply a healing Kido to Ichigo's hand.

"Maybe I like having you heal me." Ichigo said quietly.

Rukia's frown disappeared and was replaced by a small smile. "You'd better like it." She bantered, as she finished healing his hand.

With his arm, Ichigo placed his hand on the back of Rukia's neck and drew her in, leaning down to meet her lips with his own. Rukia felt her heart fluttering at the sudden kiss, and allowed herself to relax and enjoy it.

Ichigo's tongue probed her mouth deeply, and Rukia responded, resulting in a fierce duel for supremacy. Rukia gave in when Ichigo began to stroke her cheek with one hand and her thigh with the other, surrendering herself to him.

After several minutes of their passionate embrace, Ichigo pulled back, pleased to see Rukia panting slightly. Not that he wasn't in the same condition.

"Time for that sort of practice now?" He asked hopefully.

Rukia closed her eyes, gathering all of her willpower. "No, that was just a warm up." She took a deep breath, before standing up and distancing herself from him. "You like wide scale attacks? Maybe it's time to teach you how to use Soukatsui."

Rukia grinned at the forlorn look on Ichigo's face. "Don't worry." She reassured him. "The sooner you finish this practice, the sooner we can practice more....interesting things." She threw in a sly wink to make sure Ichigo got the message.

Ichigo smirked, ready to put his all into mastering the newest Kido Rukia had for him. And after that, like she said...they could focus on more interesting things.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tempest glided down the twisting glass corridors of her home, the sanctuary for all Hollow who did not wish to become slaves to Aizen. Her black hair billowed behind her at her pace, and her crimson fringe fluttered across her eyes.

Tempest was not normally one to wear her emotions—what emotions a Hollow could have, anyway—on her sleeve. She enjoyed peace, or at least a lack of chaos, and went to great lengths to ensure that her home conformed to these ideals. She took pride in the fact that she had reached a higher stage of evolution than most Hollow, indeed higher than most Vasto Lorde. Her lack of an outright mask was proof of that.

But she was still a Hollow, still a being that consumed souls to survive. That made her an enemy of the shinigami, regardless of the fact that she only consumed Hollow—had only ever consumed Hollow. And yet she had calmly accepted two shinigami into her sanctuary, regardless of the fact they were part Hollow. And why? Because she felt a link growing between herself and the two shinigami in question. Friendship, and the emotions that went with it, were a new sensation to Tempest. She told herself that the link between Bard and herself did not count. They had been together since their Adjuchas days, but they were not friends. Comrades at best, or at least that was what she told herself to help understand. But when Tempest encountered something she did not understand, she went to one who did. She knocked softly on the rounded glass doorway.

Nel looked up from her seat on her makeshift bed and smiled warmly. "Hello, Tempest. Is there something I can help you with?"

Tempest sat gracefully on a small ledge opposite from Nel. "I'm developing an emotional attachment for the two Shinigami we have granted refuge here." Quiet and direct, as always.

"Why don't you call them by their names?" Nel questioned quizzically. "Does identifying them as actual people rather than just another Shinigami make you uncomfortable?"

"I am Hollow. Shinigami are the enemy of Hollow, and are to be killed, not aided." Tempest explained evenly.

"You are more than a Hollow, you are Vasto Lorde. You, and Bard too, are the most evolved Vasto Lorde I have ever met." Nel reminded her. "Mentally, you are more capable of logic and reasoning than some Espada I've had the misfortune to meet."

"The level of my evolution should have no bearing on the issue. It is the duty of the Shinigami to 'purify' me."

"And yet here are two shinigami who have no wish to do so." Nel stated, her smile still on her face. "Ichigo isn't like other Shinigami, who would kill you as soon as look at you. Being a Shinigami is just a profession. Spirits train to gain power, and control over their reiatsu. They're still human, whatever some of them might like to think. If it helps, Ichigo is half Hollow, half human. A Vaizard."

"And what of the other? She died and went to Soul Society, and from there became a Shinigami. In her case, wouldn't she be half Shinigami, half Hollow?" Tempest argued, still keeping her soft tone. "Where then does she stand?"

"It comes down to a matter of perception then, doesn't it?" Nel leaned forward, her face becoming serious. "We all come from the same source. Wandering spirits. Hueco Mundo or Sereitei, it all depends on whether we were found by a Shinigami before we turned."

"You believe that there is no real reason stopping us from coexisting?" Tempest prompted.

"Between the lower level Hollow and Shinigami? Not a chance." Nel shook her head. "But between more evolved Hollow, Vasto Lorde such as yourself or Arrancar like me, certainly. In the end, it's racism, pure and simple."

"Racism?"

Nel nodded. "Shinigami are taught to think that all Hollow are base creatures, no better than the most brutish animal. While true for low level Hollow, this stereotype does not extend to cover the upper echelons of our evolution."

"And you believe friendship between these upper echelons and open minded Shinigami is not impossible." Tempest asked, somewhat hesitant about the idea.

Nel's smile returned. "Hasn't that already been proved? Grimmjow and Ichigo started out as deadly enemies, now they are friendly rivals. Ichigo befriended and defended me at first sight, even though I was an Arrancar. You saw for yourself the camaraderie between Bard and the Shinigami Captain, Hitsugaya. Ichigo's friend Arisawa also looked at us as more than Hollow, and even persuaded Rukia and Lieutenant Abarai to take a step back and look at us for who we were, and they had been put through years of anti-Hollow conditioning at the Shinigami Academy." Nel paused, before adding more. "And that's without taking into account their personal experiences with Hollow."

Tempest was silent, taking in all that Nel had told her. Finally, she spoke. "You've given me a lot to consider." She rose, preparing to leave. "Thank you." Tempest looked Nel directly in the eye as she thanked her, showing her appreciation.

Nel gave her another encouraging smile. "All you need to do is keep an open mind. Try spending some more time around Ichigo and Rukia. It will help you to sort out these new emotions you are feeling." Nel added, returning to the original reason for their conversation. Then she gave a gasp, and her face became shocked. "You are talking about _friendship_, right Tempest? You wouldn't be falling the sexy orange hybrid would you?" She included a sly wink for extra effect.

Tempest raised an eyebrow in disbelief, the most expression Nel had ever seen on her face. Nel giggled at her reaction.

"Had to make sure, didn't I? If you were feeling that for Ichigo, I'd have to tell you about another emotion, called jealousy that you'd have to look out for. That, and not to underestimate Rukia-chan."

Nel giggled some more, and Tempest swept regally from the room before her dignity could take any more damage.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Grimmjow batted aside a Bala with his blade, before sending one of his own back at Bard. The Vasto Lorde caught it easily and threw it back at Grimmjow, adding some power of his own to the projectile.

"You're worried cause you're getting friendly with the shinigami?" Grimmjow shouted in disbelief. "I thought you had more spine than that!"

Bard appeared behind Grimmjow with a buzz of Sonido, kneeing him in the back and sending the Espada flying. "You know damn well that's not how it is." He shouted.

Grimmjow turned in mid air, firing a Cero and releasing it, shocking Bard at his speed. "Then tell me how it is." He challenged.

The pair of them were dueling a fair distance away from the main camp, after Bard had approached Grimmjow and asked for a fight. Grimmjow had readily agreed, as Ichigo (that bastard) had run off with his girlfriend. Grimmjow understood the lure of pussy as much as the next male, but you can't use it as an excuse to get out of fighting (in his mind at least). Bard had brought the current topic up mid fight, and Grimmjow would be damned if he was going to stop fighting just to talk.

"The. Shinigami. Are. Our. Enemies!" Each word was punctuated by a Bala. "I'm not supposed to be friends with an enemy, and a Captain at that!"

Grimmjow batted each Bala away with Pantera, the barrage preventing him from closing. "What the fuck do you think this is?" He yelled, indicating the sword in his hands.

Bard paused in his attack, confused by the question. "A sword?"

"NO!" Grimmjow punished his lapse by closing with Sonido and head butting him viciously. "It's a zanpukutou, idiot! And you didn't go crying to anyone when you became friends with me!" He let out a harsh laugh.

Bard's face twisted with anger at Grimmjow's words, and he unleashed duo of Cero at the laughing Grimmjow. Grimmjow dodged the first Cero, and caught the second on his arm, before going back on the attack.

"It doesn't matter what breed, what race they are! All that matters is their strength, and how well they can fight!" Grimmjow rained a flurry of blows down on Bard, forcing him to catch each on his hands.

Bard grabbed his blade, holding it in place, before slamming his own head viciously into Grimmjow's face, breaking his nose with the white ridges that ran across his skull. Rather than flinch, Grimmjow grinned widely before pulling his blade from Bard's hand and bringing it down heavily on his shoulder, slicing his arm clean off.

Both fighters sprang apart, Bard scowling heavily as he looked at the bleeding stump where his arm had been attached. With a snarl and a burst of Sonido, he was by the severed limb. Still scowling at the pleased look on Grimmjow's face, he placed his arm back in its proper position with his remaining arm, grimacing as the severed ligaments and muscles reattached themselves.

"You can reattach limbs?" Grimmjow asked interestedly.

"It's easier than growing a new one." Bard answered.

Grimmjow shook his head before continuing his earlier train of thought. "Who gives a fuck who you're mates with? Who's gonna tell you no?" He sheathed his blade with a steely rasp. "We're the Kings here, Bard." He smirked. "No one tells us what to do."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kuchiki Byakuya sank into his chair and allowed his shoulders to sag imperceptibly. After dispersing the crowd at the duel for the 11th Division Captaincy, the entire Squad had descended on the taverns and drinking houses to celebrate. Byakuya had made a graceful exit (fled hastily) before he was asked to supervise (threaten into good behaviour) and eventually return (drag the unconscious bodies) of the 11th Division members back to their barracks.

He took up a quill and began to fill out the reports that were piling up on his desk. Byakuya managed to work for an hour straight without interruption, a new record (he suspected it was due to Renji's absence), before there was a polite knock on to door to his office.

"Yes." Byakuya gave a monosyllabic reply.

"It's Rikichi, Kuchiki-taicho. There is a shinigami here who claims they were sent from the Central 46."

Byakuya rubbed his eyes before replying. "Send him in."

"Hai."

The door to Byakuya's office slid open, and he concentrated on the report on his desk in front of him rather than look at the newcomer. A sealed letter was placed in front of him.

"A message from the Central 46 regarding your fuku-taicho." The tone was respectful, but had an arrogant undercurrent.

Byakuya cracked the wax seal, skimming over the contents of the message. The bearer was to take the position of lieutenant in his decision, at the edict of the Central 46. Byakuya closed the letter and placed it at the side of his desk. He reached under said desk, pulling the lieutenant's insignia out from its hiding place. He placed it on the desk in front of him.

The shinigami in front of him attached the badge of rank to his arm, smugness radiating off him in waves.

"My name is--"

"I do not care." Byakuya interrupted him. "You are hereby demoted to an unranked position in my Squad. That is all." Byakuya dismissed the man who had waltzed into his office and expected to be granted the title of second-in-command of his Division, taking up his quill and continuing his reports.

He did not leave. "I am to be given the position of fuku-taicho in the 6th division. The Central 46 has decreed it." Anger was clear in his voice.

Byakuya continued to fill out the file in front of him. "You did receive that rank. And then I stripped you of it. This is my company, not the Central 46's, and you would do well to remember that." He finished coldly.

"You would disobey the Central--"

"You would disobey _me_?" Byakuya looked up, meeting his gaze for the first time. The man shrank back at what he saw in Byakuya's eyes. "Now remove that insignia. You are not fit to wear it."

The man who fancied himself fuku-taicho of the 6th Squad made no move to follow Byakuya's order.

"Rikichi. Relieve this man of that insignia."

Rikichi flash stepped into the office, having been listening to the entire confrontation outside. He sheathed his blade as the cloth holding the lieutenant's insignia was severed, leaving it to fall from the imposter's arm.

"Your presence is no longer required. You may spend the first day of what will _hopefully_ be a long tenure at the 6th Squad patrolling the south wall." Rikichi stared him down, daring him to argue. "You may leave now."

With a final glare at the two of them, the Central 46 soldier left.

Rikichi gave a bow to Byakuya before moving to leave the office. Byakuya's voice stopped him.

"Rikichi."

"Yes, taicho?"

Byakuya regarded the young man before continuing. "I believe you are suitable for the position of lieutenant of 6th Division. Take up the insignia."

Rikichi's face shone with pride as he took up the fallen badge. "Thank you sir! I will bring honor to the Division!"

Byakuya rose, accepting his thanks. "You may start by completing the paperwork here. I will be back after nightfall." He glanced out the window at the afternoon sun. "I expect the work to be done by the time of my return."

With that, he swept (more like floated) out of the office, leaving Rikichi to contemplate the drawbacks of his new position.

"Ukitake."

The white haired man looked up from his lounging position, as he watched the Koi ponds from the deck of his private house.

"Ah, Byakuya. How are you?" Ukitake inquired politely.

Byakuya nodded an affirmative, turning to watch the Koi alongside his senior. His own had a bad habit of disappearing, regardless of how many times he purchased more. He had resorted to having artistic impressions of the fish painted on the base of the ponds, but even they had suffered from scratch marks. Byakuya cleared his head of all things Koi and returned to the purpose of his visit.

"Have you been contacted by the Central 46 in regards to your vacant lieutenant's position?"

Ukitake nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes, a charming young woman arrived earlier with a letter granting her the position. Why, did the same happen to you?"

"The man they sent is currently patrolling the south wall of my Division as an unranked member." Byakuya stated coldly, leaving no doubt as to what he thought of the actions of the Central 46. "How did you deal with your own applicant?"

Ukitake chuckled. "She is currently taking care of all the paperwork....with the help of Kiyone and Sentarou. I asked them to be as enthusiastic in helping her as they usually are in helping me."

Despite his legendary composure, Byakuya barely restrained a shudder at the thought of being 'helped' by Ukitake's third seats. His attention was brought back to the conversation by Ukitake's next statement.

"Byakuya...I think this is the beginning of the Kagai infiltration of our Divisions. They started with the Captain's, then Lieutenant's, and next I believe we will receive the ranked members of the Kagai disguised as new recruits."

"How do you intend on dealing with these Kagai seated members?" Byakuya was for once thankful for his longtime tormentor Yoruichi's skill at entering Sereitei without detection. She had come to update them on everything they had learned about the Central 46 forces during their fight, guessing correctly that the Kagai 13 were their instrument. Time had been short, however, and all she had time to inform them of was the nature of the forces of their new enemy within.

Ukitake considered his answer. "I do not believe they will have been conditioned as thoroughly as the more senior figures. If we show them another way of thinking when they arrive, I think we have a chance to turn them from direct loyalty to the Central 46."

Byakuya took a moment to consider all Ukitake had said. "You are acting under the assumption that they are not already here."

What remaining colour there was drained from Ukitake's face. "You mean the recruitment drive we had several weeks ago?"

"Nearly every Squad outside of the 3rd, 5th, and 9th received a surplus of recruits. It would not be hard to assume that this was the first step by the Kagai 13 in infiltrating our Squad's." Byakuya reasoned. "The 1st and 12th Squads were excluded from the recent deluge of recruits."

Ukitake eyed him seriously. "There_ was_ a group of recruits destined for the 1st Squad. They would be there now, if not for Yamamoto-soutaicho. He ordered them back to the academy."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow, a monumental display of emotion. "The academy?"

Ukitake chuckled lightly. "They have to repeat every year. I think Yama-jii took exception to they way the Central 46 demanded their admittance. The strange thing is, a lot of records from the past two years have disappeared. There is no record of them ever having attended in the first place."

"What of the 12th Squad?" Byakuya asked slowly.

"I'm sorry?"

"Why were there no recruits for the 12th Squad? It is strange that every Squad received—or at least was intended to receive—a number of probable Kagai 13 members disguised as new members of the Division. All but the 12th."

"You think Kurotsuchi is in league with the Central 46?" Ukitake processed the information.

"Mayuri claims he was in a seperate part of Aizen's laboratory when the Hollowfication gas infected the others. I find that overly convenient, even more so considering the fact that he did not leave the laboratory to help subdue his mission partners. Usually he would jump at the chance to examine such fine 'experiment subjects'." Byakuya's eyes narrowed at the thought that the deranged 12th Squad Captain was responsible for his sister's condition.

"We cannot be hasty in judging Mayuri. We should wait for contact with Urahara before we make a move." Ukitake warned.

Byakuya remained silent, pondering all that he had discussed with his senior. He knew that while he would very much like to take his vengeance upon those who had turned his sister, he also knew that it was not his place to take.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Come on Arisawa. On your feet."

Tatsuki craned her neck to locate the source of the teasing voice.

It was hard to tell time in the basement hideout, but Tatsuki guessed that it was late afternoon. Soi Fon and Hitsugaya were presumably the cause of the blasts and shakes emanating from another corner of the basement, Urahara and Tessai had left earlier to do god-knows-what, Ishida, Orihime and Chad had gone out to gather whatever the group would need to live for the next few weeks, and Renji was sprawled out beside her, snoring loudly. That left--

"Come _on_ Tatsuki. You won't get any faster by sitting on your butt like that." Yoruichi teased.

"I'm up, I'm up." Tatsuki groaned, getting to her feet. "I thought it was dangerous to do any training until we subdue our inner hollow.

**I'm just as dangerous to your friends whether or not you draw on Kagemusha.** Tatsuki ignored the snickering of her inner hollow.

"Only if that training involves drawing heavily on your zanpukutou spirit." Yoruichi corrected. "There's nothing stopping us beating each other up with our fists."

"Beating _each other_ up, right." Tatsuki snorted.

"You never know, today might be the day." Yoruichi grinned.

Tatsuki blurred into a flash step without warning, the blade of her hand flying towards her mentor's neck. Yoruichi blocked the blow with the flat of her arm and a grin, before sending her knee flying towards Tatsuki's stomach. Tatsuki twisted to avoid the blow, flipping back and landing on her feet. She dove feet first back into the action, aiming to sweep Yoruichi's legs from under her.

Renji blinked groggily, waking to the sound of fighting. He looked around, trying to shake the sleep from his head, and caught a glimpse of Tatsuki and Yoruichi sparring. He jumped up quickly, both to put some distance between himself and the scary fighting women (they were only a few metres away) and to start cheering Tatsuki on (brownie points).

For the next ten minutes, Renji winced every time Yoruichi landed a blow on Tatsuki, and cheered wildly whenever his girlfriend connected one of her own.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself, Abarai-kun."

Renji jumped slightly when he heard Urahara's voice at his shoulder. He hadn't even heard him approach.

"You get done whatever you went out to do?" Renji asked absently, still watching the fight.

Urahara flicked his fan over his mouth. "Why yes, Abarai-kun, I did manage to contact the Vaizard. Thank you for asking."

Renji's attention focused completely on Urahara. "You talked to the Vaizard?"

Yoruichi and Tatsuki joined them in a blur of Shunpo, Yoruichi joining Tessai as Urahara's side and Tatsuki leaning against Renji.

Urahara nodded and answered Renji's question. "Yes, I managed to contact them. They're somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere, but they'll be making their way back as soon as they can."

"As soon as they can? Why not immediately?" Tatsuki demanded.

"They've just put in several weeks of effort to make Soul Society believe they are active on a number of isolated islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are not prepared to throw that effort away, so they are currently returning to Japan using more..." Urahara paused, searching for a suitable word. "...'traditional' method of transport."

Renji raised an eyebrow. "Traditional?"

"They're on a cruise ship." Urahara coughed delicately. "They'll be back in just over a week."

Tatsuki's mouth was set in a thin, angry line. Without another word she turned and strode away. Renji ran after her, pausing only to give Urahara a sad look.

"Tatsuki, wait."

Renji was following Tatsuki through a maze of rocks. She gave no indication that she had heard him, so he called out again, with more force.

"Tatsuki, stop and tell me what's wrong."

Tatsuki whirled around with fire in her eyes. "What'swrong? _What's wrong?_ We're on the run from Sereitei, criminals to be killed on sight, that's what's wrong!"

Renji stopped and listened, wishing he could do more than just listen to her. Tatsuki continued angrily.

"I have a _thing_ in my soul that never shuts up, and I hardly ever hear from Kagemusha!" Tatsuki shocked Renji thoroughly when tears began to flow down her cheeks. Tatsuki _never_ cried. He strode forward and wrapped his arms around her.

"She's _always_ there, she never shuts up. Always telling me how she's going to kill our friends, kill you."

"Hey. I'm not going to let that bitch of a hollow do anything to me. And I know you won't either." Renji spoke reassuringly.

"And we're told that the one group who can help us, the one group that can do anything, is on a freaking _cruise ship_ in the Pacific." Tatsuki continued bitterly. "They're having a holiday and we're fighting for our souls." She wept silently into Renji's chest as he comforted her.

"Hey. Hey. They wouldn't be taking their time like this is they didn't believe we could hold out until then. We've got to remember that they were forced to leave here in the first place, they were drawing so much attention to themselves." Renji soothed her. "They're coming back earlier than they had planned, to help us."

"I know, Renji...I'm sorry." She laughed tearfully, wiping her eyes on his shihakusho. "I'm not usually this silly."

Renji chuckled, sending vibrations through his chest and into Tatsuki's. "You're allowed to be a little silly sometimes. Just don't make a habit of it."

Tatsuki thumped his chest gently. "Gee, thanks." She wiped her face again.

They remained silent for several minutes, Tatsuki wrapped up in Renji's arms.

Renji cleared his throat. "You're dealing with this better than I would, if I'd only been dead for two years."

"Really?"

"Definitely." Renji nodded firmly. "Hell, if Ichigo got through it on his own, we can definitely get through it together."

"He dealt with this during the first battles of the war....Ichigo dealt with the war, normal life, and his hollow all at once." Tatsuki realized.

"He might've got his hollow a different way, but he held out for a few months on his own. We can manage a week or two." Renji stated strongly.

Tatsuki smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Renji."

"Anytime." He cleared his throat. "I won't mention anything about the tears, so long as you--"

"Don't worry." Tatsuki smiled. "I won't tell anyone you're actually a big softie under all those tattoos."

"Deal."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"....Hadouno Sanjuusan, Soukatsui!"

A wave of blue fire _exploded_ from Ichigo's hand, crashing into the barrier around the cavern with an almighty roar. With a deafening crack, the barrier shattered, and the destructive Kido blew a gaping hole in the roof of their training area. Ichigo turned to Rukia with a smirk.

"So? How'd I do?" He asked innocently.

Rukia's eyes narrowed. "You know very well how you did. You can't control your vast reiatsu, resulting in extremely powerful Kido, at the cost of injuring yourself in the process." She pointed at the blood dripping from his hand. "You pull a few of those off in a row, and you won't be able to use your hand."

Ichigo's smirk grew to epic proportions. "I pull off a few of those, and there won't be anyone around for me to use them on."

"Don't be overconfident. You still can't use high level spells, although I shudder to think of the damage you would cause with one of them." Rukia approached him and busied herself with healing his bleeding hand. "But I suppose control isn't really that important in our situation." She mused.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Why not?"

Rukia raised an eyebrow of her own. "We're in a war, baka. Huge, destructive Kido attacks are what you need right now."

Ichigo nodded, understanding. "Fair enough." Then his eyes turned sly, as if remembering something. "Rukia, you said that when we finished practicing Kido, we could move on to more interesting things, right?"

Rukia frowned, thinking back. "What?" Then she remembered. "Oh, Ichi--"

In a flash, she was off her feet and in his arms, bridal style. She protested as he flash stepped through the twisting glass corridors to their room, until Ichigo leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Stop complaining and save your strength. You'll need it."

Rukia felt herself responding to his cocky tone. "Oh? You think you can wear me out?"

"I don't think so, I know so." He nipped her ear as he said it. "And trust me....you will scream."

Rukia's heart began pumping at his blatant challenge. It was going to be a long night.

**VICTORY!! Exams all done, and I killed them all!! Cheers for the good luck wishes on them, they were much appreciated.**

**And there you go. Hope you enjoyed it. Action returns next chapter, this one was just to fill you all in on the happenings in Sereitei a little bit, and show the thoughts of Tempest and Bard, since they're still Vasto Lorde and full Hollow, not Arrancar. **

**And a warning....the shit is gonna hit the fan after the next several chapters.**

**Muhahahahaha....**


	16. Retaliation

**Time for credit where it's due. HUGE shoutout to Arcadia Silver, who's been a great support in allowing me to bounce ideas off her and bouncing a few of her own back. You guys should check out her IchiRuki story **_**Crucible**_**, great read, and it's got a couple of sequels coming out (if she ever gets off her ass and writes em :P).**

**Thanks to DarkJason as well, your in depth reviews are much appreciated. It's always good to check your reviews and find that you have another big one waiting there. Thanks also due to SeraphinaDonna, staidwaters, TurquisePL, TAKCH1, Semigall, and everyone else I've forgotten to mention for their continued reviewing.**

Rukia stretched out leisurely, naked on the animal fur that served as a blanket. She ran her fingers through the orange strands of hair, sighing contentedly as she did.

Wait.

Orange strands?

Rukia widened the crack in her eyes, focusing on the orange blur in front of her. As her vision cleared, she took in the details of Ichigo's face. He was still asleep, snoring blissfully.

Rukia groaned as she remembered the previous night, and with it, the aches emanating from certain parts of her body.

Three times. _Three times_ they had gone at it the 'night' before, and now Rukia was aching in places she didn't know she had muscles.

Rukia sat up and groaned again as she removed her hand from Ichigo's hair and ran her sensitive fingertips over neck. The bastard had given her another hickey. Two of them, actually.

_Rukia moaned as Ichigo pulled her legs up over his shoulders, before plunging inside her once again. Pinning her against the wall, he thrust into her molten core, slowly but surely. Rukia came close to whimpering every time he pulled out, but was soothed as his throbbing rod slid back in smoothly. Ichigo leaned in, nibbling on her ear, working his way down to her neck. As he felt her core clench around him, he bit down savagely, leaving a red mark right next to her jugular. _

Rukia ran her hand over the hickey and sighed. She hoped it—and all those she would be sure to receive in their remaining time here—would heal before they left for the living world. Casting her eyes over Ichigo's sleeping body, she saw that she wasn't the only one lacking in clothes. Admiring the view, she also saw what appeared to be numerous scratch marks running down his chest.

_Ichigo gave a startled gasp as Rukia flipped him over, forcing him onto his back. He looked ready to argue at the new arrangement, but quieted when she leaned forward, pressing her left breast against his mouth. He ran his tongue over the hard nipple, before beginning tease it with his teeth. His attentions came close to drawing a moan from Rukia's lips, but she held it in with effort. Reluctantly, she pulled back, leaving Ichigo panting for breath. Before he could recover, she impaled her slick heat on his ready and waiting cock. She began to slide up and down his length, but was caught off-guard when as she slid down, Ichigo thrust up into her. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she grasped Ichigo's chest for balance, dragging her nails across it. _

Rukia left the fur covered rock shelf that doubled as a bed completely, feeling the stickiness that remained between her thighs. Her insides rubbed together pleasantly as she hobbled across the cave that served as their room. Kami, her legs were _sore._

Now, how to get clean? There was no water in Hueco Mundo, so finding a spring was out of the question. Rukia pondered her quandary. She saw a deep depression at the side of the cave and smiled.

Taking hold of Shirayuki, Rukia approached the depression and held her sword sideways, tipping the blade down towards the ground as she fed a trickle of her power through the blade. Ice seemed to pour from the sword, gathering in the depression. Once it was full, Rukia placed her sword back next to Zangetsu before summoning a hot Kido, melting the ice she had created.

It took several minutes, but she succeeded in melting the ice and warming it to a comfortable level. With that, she slid in, reveling in the warmth provided. Her eyes closed blissfully.

The water was disturbed as another body slid in. Rukia opened her eyes to see Ichigo smiling at her. It was a rare, genuine smile, and infectious as well, as Rukia soon found herself smiling back.

"Hey, you." Ichigo spoke quietly, not wishing to disturb the peace.

"Hey yourself." Rukia replied, just as quietly. Her throat was sore, for some reason.

_Rukia pushed herself backwards, their thighs meeting with a slap. Ichigo kneaded her breasts hungrily with one hand, the other, he had at her opening, stretched wide by his pulsing manhood. It played with her clit lazily, sending jolts of pleasure throughout her body. Rukia could feel the pumping of his pulse as he slammed into her soaked pussy, standing behind her as his hands teased and tormented her breasts and clit. The stimulation sent her over the edge, she was screaming his name and she didn't even notice, she was drowning in pleasure. Her pussy spasmed, clenching around his cock, and with a roar he erupted inside her, loosing shot after shot. His cum dripped down her thighs as he collapsed on top of her, his name fading from her lips._

Ah. That would explain the sore throat.

"You screamed." Ichigo pointed out smugly.

"Not now, Ichigo. I'm tired. I'm sore." Rukia closed her eyes tiredly.

Teasing the midget was fun, but now Ichigo let slip a frown of concern. He moved next to her, pushing her deeper into the water. It was waist height when standing at the deepest point, and where she was now the water covered up to her shoulders. Ichigo slid into place, a leg on either side of her, and began to massage her shoulders and back, running the warm water over her aches and pains. Rukia sighed and allowed herself to fall back onto Ichigo's chest, and he began to pour water out of his hands onto her scalp, slowly rinsing out her hair.

"So...what you're saying is...I wore you out?" Ichigo couldn't help himself.

Rukia glared at him. "Not even close. What about you?"

"Nup. I feel fine." Ichigo lied. His legs had been shaking all the way from the bed to the bath, and the scratches on his chest hurt like hell.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Sure. If I feel the way I do, then you're not far behind."

Ichigo snorted, but didn't protest as Rukia raised her hand over her shoulder and cast a healing glow over the two of them, the Kido glowing blue from her hand. Slowly, all their aches and pains disappeared, leaving them feeling much better.

Ichigo placed a small butterfly kiss on Rukia's neck. "I'll take your healing over Inoue's any day."

"You'd better." Rukia stated, mirroring her words from earlier. "Now, hurry up and finish what you started." She ordered, motioning to her hair.

Ichigo closed his eyes and allowed his fingers to run through Rukia's raven coloured hair, massaging her scalp, and her head tilted back to rest on his shoulder with a contented sigh.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo watched with a grin as Rukia dressed in her shihakusho. He would never get tired of watching her naked. Rukia looked up, and cocked an eyebrow at his body's obvious reaction to her.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?"

Ichigo's grin widened. "Do you want me to?"

Rukia paused, considering. "Well, personally, no. But Grimmjow might get a big of a shock when he gets here in about twenty seconds."

Ichigo yelped and rushed to get his robe back on, now conscious of Grimmjow fast approaching their room. He had just managed tie his obi around his waist when Grimmjow strutted through the door.

"You guys are actually up? Damn Ichigo, couldn't you wear her out?"

"Whaddya want, Grimm-kitty?" Ichigo's reply was snarkier than usual. He really didn't appreciate being interrupted while he was with Rukia.

"You wanna say that again, Strawberry?" Grimmjow snarled, glaring at Ichigo. Ichigo glared back at him.

"Children!" Rukia successfully out-glared them both. "The stench of testosterone is starting to get to me. Behave or take it outside."

Grimmjow perked up at the mention of a fight with Ichigo, but his would be opponent sighed and ran his hand over his face. He really hadn't gotten much sleep.

"What do you want, Grimmjow?"

"Tempest wants to talk to us. Nel and Bard are already there."

"Tempest want us? I thought Nel was in charge here." Ichigo asked in confusion.

Grimmjow turned, leading the two Vaizard out the door and down the glass hall. "Me and Nel are just guests here. Same as you two, actually."

Ichigo put his arm around Rukia, drawing her in close. "Exactly the same?" He asked with a smirk.

Grimmjow snorted. "I wish."

The walk continued in silence for several more minutes, before Rukia spoke up.

"How many Hollow are actually here, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow looked at Rukia in surprise. It was actually the first time she had initiated conversation with him that didn't include some sort of threat.

"There's me, Nel, Tempest, and Bard at the top of the ladder. We're the only ones with any real strength...but there's also two or three hundred Adjuchas too. Most of them live in the caves at the base of the canyon wall. The more power you have, the higher up you go."

"That's why you guys live at the top of the canyon." Ichigo stated.

"Yeah." Grimmjow nodded. "There aren't any Gillian here or anything, but there's close to a thousand normal Hollow living in the canyon itself."

"Why are they here?" Rukia questioned.

Grimmjow shrugged. "Dunno. At the start, it was just the Adjuchas who didn't want to be 'recruited' by Aizen, but with them here, all sorts of weaklings started to congregate here as well. Tempest gave em a warning to keep the peace, fried a few of the more argumentative ones, and after that they calmed down."

"What have you found out about Aizen since you guys were attacked by those Arrancar that time?" Ichigo asked, his interest piked by the mention of Aizen.

Grimmjow smirked as he led them through a final doorway. "That's what Tempest wants to talk about."

Ichigo and Rukia followed Grimmjow into a large room overlooking the canyon through a torn away section of wall. Ichigo could see numerous Hollow crawling along the floor of the canyon, but they were too far away to make out the details. The centre of the room was dominated by a low table, carved roughshod out of glass. There were numerous stools to sit on arrayed around it.

"Yo." Ichigo greeted those already seated as he and Rukia took their own seats. Nel, Tempest, and Bard acknowledged him as Grimmjow took his own seat next to Nel. "What'd you want to talk to us about?"

Tempest nodded, her orange eyes fixing upon Ichigo. "Since the first major attack on our home, there have been many more small scale hit and run ambushes on those living here. I believe that whoever is organising these attacks has been led to believe that we have a higher level of strength than we actually possess."

"Why do you think that?" Ichigo questioned.

"The only full on attack they made was when you and your friends were here." Bard answered for his fellow Vasto Lorde. "They got demolished, so they think we're stronger than we actually are."

"What about the small scale attacks?" Rukia spoke up.

It was Nel who answered her. "Three of four Arrancar hit us at the same time, from different directions, kill several Adjuchas each, and leave before we can get there. They've killed over forty Adjuchas so far."

"Do you know where the attacks are coming from? And who is commanding them?" Ichigo asked, his face furrowed down in a scowl.

"I assume Aizen has given the mission of recruiting to one of his Espada. Aizen isn't one to dirty his hands on things like this." Nel replied with a frown. The frown was soon replaced by a small grin. "But we do know where they have made their base of operations."

Grimmjow, who had been gazing out the window, bored with the conversation going over things he already knew, suddenly sat up a little straighter. "You do? How come you haven't told us yet?"

Ichigo snorted. "I thought you were clued up, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow looked ready to make a scathing reply, when Rukia spoke up. "Children." She warned.

Grimmjow settled for scowling heavily at Ichigo, a scowl that Ichigo returned. Nel rolled her eyes at their antics, and Tempest spoke up again.

"There are several small bases, actually. We need to hit them at the same time to ensure that our home isn't attacked while we do so."

"Tell me where they are already. I want to kill something." Grimmjow demanded, rising to his feet.

"If you don't sit still and listen I will make you stay and guard our home." Tempest informed him evenly.

Ichigo snickered as Grimmjow sank back into his seat, sending the orange haired Vaizard a glare as he did so.

"How many outposts do they have?" Rukia asked, worrying about her hollow in the back of her mind.

**You should be worried Queenie!**

"There are four in total." Tempest replied, unaware of the giggling of Rukia's inner hollow inside her head.

"I'm going on my own." Grimmjow declared immediately.

"I'm sticking with Rukia." Ichigo spoke up at almost the same time. The two men glared at each other...again.

Bard shook his head. "I'll stay with Tempest" When Ichigo turned to face him with a raised eyebrow, he felt the need to explain himself further. "Two Vasto Lorde will be more than a match for any Arrancar that can overpower one."

Nel shrugged. "Looks like I'm on my own then too."

"Do we know anything about the one leading them? About whether it's an actual Espada?" Rukia spoke up. Tempest almost allowed a smile to break out on her face. Almost. It seemed that at least the females in their group saw the wisdom of going in with a plan.

"Does it matter?" Ichigo shrugged. "If we come across them, we'll kill em."

Tempest sighed internally. Case closed.

Ichigo rose to his feet, offering a hand to Rukia. "Come on midget." He smirked. "Time to earn our keep."

Grimmjow and Bard winced. The kicks that the midget in question was now delivering to his shins looked painful.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo resisted the urge to stop and rub his throbbing shins. They were now flash stepping across the moonlit desert towards one of the bases occupied by the Arrancar responsible for attacking their current sanctuary, intending to wipe out the threat permanently. The two Vaizard were keeping pace with each other, several metres apart.

"Don't overdo yourself here, okay Rukia?" Ichigo told her, a hint of worry in his voice.

"Stop worrying, Ichigo. I can take care of myself." Rukia answered..

"I know. That's what I'm afraid of." Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Don't make it easy for your Hollow to come out."

"Relax, Ichigo." Rukia ordered firmly. "Focus on the enemy."

Ichigo nodded and took her words to heart. They traveled for close to forty minutes, before Rukia picked up activity on the edge of her senses—it was faint, but it was there.

Four Arrancar—three Numeros and an Espada—were lounging around in a valley between two sand dunes. They felt safe, secure. They were Arrancar belonging to Aizen-sama's horde, and one of them was an Espada. Who would dare to fuck with them?

Their peaceful reverie was broken by the arrival of two who would most certainly take pleasure in fucking with them. The Espada blinked as he saw a blur of orange and black speeding over the sand dune and towards their camp. When he opened his eyes, one of his comrades was headless, staying upright for only a moment before collapsing. In his place was a grinning Shinigami.

Another Numero rose to his feet. "Shinigami bast--"

The Numero's roar was cut off by a white blade sliding up through the back of his neck and out through his mouth. A white ribbon fluttered around his killer.

Ichigo watched, his grin still plastered across his face, as what instinct told him was the most dangerous opponent rose. The man had blinked in surprise as Ichigo decapitated his comrade, and then proceeded to watch as Rukia stabbed another through the neck.

"I am Jidu." His voice rumbled. He had tanned skin, and a bone mowhawk that ran across his otherwise bald skull. His eyes were set close together, and when he blinked, Ichigo could make out a **5 **tattooed onto his left eyelid.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo could see Rukia engaging the remaining Arrancar, a tall thin man. She was parrying and counter-attacking well, but refraining from using any of her dances.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." He introduced himself, somewhat hopefully. Maybe this guy had heard of him?

"I know of you, boy." Jidu replied, and Ichigo allowed himself a small smirk. "I had heard that you died."

Ichigo's smirk disappeared and was replaced by a look of annoyance. Would nothing he did gain him a lasting reputation among the enemy?

Jidu rushed at Ichigo barehanded, catching him off guard. With no time to draw his zanpukutou, Ichigo caught the Espada's right hook on his arm, swinging his elbow towards Jidu's jaw in response. Ichigo winced as his elbow impacted, but Jidu made no response, moving in to headbutt him savagely. Ichigo moved back, trying to gain room to draw his blade, but Jidu kept up his assault. Fists, elbows, knees, feet, all flew at Ichigo as he defended desperately. Every time he ventured a return blow of his own, he did more damage to himself than to his opponent.

Rukia was faring much better than Ichigo. Her opponent was fast, but she was faster, inflicting numerous small cuts over his torso. Before her training with Yoruichi, Rukia would have been forced to use Kido and her Dances to keep up with an opponent such as this, but now, she could do it comfortably without only her blade, without risk of bring her hollow out.

**Comfortably? No risk of bringing me out? Don't lie to yourself, Queenie!!**

Ichigo blocked a particularly vicious punch that would have broken his collar bone, flipping himself up and planting his foot solidly into Jidu's solar plexus. Jidu doubled over, his wind forced out of him, and Ichigo reached over his shoulder with his now free hand, lifting Zangetsu from its sheath. He grinned wildly, caught up in the adrenaline of battle.

"Getsuga..." It was whispered.

Jidu drew his blade with a startled expression.

"TENSHOU!!" Ichigo finished with a shout, sending an arc of blue energy towards his opponent. Jidu drew his blade, building his reiatsu to block the deadly attack. Ichigo's attack impacted, throwing Jidu back several metres and kicking up dust and debris.

Ichigo's grin subsided into a smirk as he waited for the dust to clear and his opponent to be revealed. As it did, his eyes widened and his features tightened in pain.

It wasn't the grinning skull that covered Jidu's face, it wasn't the great broadswords he now held in each of his hands, and it wasn't the numerous spikes that now protruded from his back.

It was the graceful way that Rukia's body arced through the air as she fell back, blood streaming freely from a deep wound in her stomach, and the way that her opponent swooped in for the kill.

Rukia was gaining confidence as she pressed her advantage, keeping her opponent on the back foot without resorting to Kido or her Dances. She swept her opponents blade to the side and plunged her own towards his eye, dealing a vicious cut to his face as he leaned back in an attempt to dodge. Her confidence was dealt a severe blow when her hollow began to interfere.

**Queen!! Let me out!! I wanna fight!! **Hollow Rukia shrieked from within her own mind.

_Shut up, bitch! Leave me alone!_ Rukia replied with a snarl mentally.

**I wanna fight, I wanna fight, I. WANT. TO. FIGHT!! **

Each word was accompanied by a blow to her mental defenses, and Rukia flinched from the force of them. A barrage of sounds and images assaulted her senses, images of death, fighting, her Hollow victorious, Ichigo dead at her feet, Ichigo's warm body beside her as they lay together.

Rukia's opponent seized on her distraction, taking the chance to return a blow of his own. Rukia brought her blade up to block—only to find her limbs frozen in place. Time slowed, and Rukia could feel the horror her Hollow felt as the blade cut deeply across her stomach, very nearly cleaving her in two.

Ichigo watched Rukia's body arc through the air as she fell back, blood streaming freely from a deep wound in her stomach, and her enemy swooping in to finish her off. He felt a burning desire to protect her boiling through his veins.

"BANKAI!!"

Reiatsu hemorrhaged from Ichigo unchecked, his eyes glowing brightest blue, a tall pillar of power forming above him. His fury at Rukia's wounding in his presence was channeled into rage at his opponent for keeping him from her, and Jidu felt a trill of fear.

In a fraction of a second, Jidu felt his opponent behind him, as his lifeblood pumped out of his body through a gaping wound in his chest. Sacrificing speed for the power granted by his release, he never stood a chance.

Rukia's opponent grinned as he landed next to her prone form, raising his blade to deliver the killing blow. She would die from the one already inflicted, he knew, but he wanted the satisfaction of watching the life drain from her eyes.

The Arrancar's eyes eyes widened as his blade was wrenched away from the small shinigami's body, and he looked up into a pair of merciless amber eyes. A black blade swung _through_ his own, shattering it. The Arrancar barely had time to draw one last breath to plead for mercy before his head fell to the sandy floor, frozen in an expression of pain and horror.

Ichigo fell to his knees, reaching out to Rukia's body and gently turning onto her back—before tensing in shock. Splayed across her face, was the grinning mask of Hollow Rukia.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Lazily, almost negligently, Grimmjow stabbed his hand through the chest of his final opponent. She collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood, and he threw her body several feet away.

He grinned as he examined the bodies around him, dissolving as he watched. They had been weak, all seven of them, barely enough to get his blood flowing—certainly not enough to force him to draw Pantera.

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow as he felt a faint stirring of Ichigo's reiatsu, even at the distance they were from each other. The boy was _pissed._ He shrugged. Not his problem.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nel decapitated one opponent, before reversing her sword on the same swing, plunging it into the stomach of the Arrancar attempting to sneak up behind her. Removing her blade from the enemy, and satisfied with the cleanliness of the kills, she watched as her last two opponent's fell to the ground. Wiping her blade, Nel showed no reaction when she felt the pulse of reiatsu that was thrown out when Ichigo activated his Bankai. She believed in him, and his strength. All there was to do now was wait.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tempest sat calmly upon a smooth rock, attempting to regain some of the calm that had been shattered by the violence she had participated in. Five Arrancar had been overwhelmed by her teamwork with Bard, and his skill for misleading his opponents. Allowing both of his arms to be sliced off, the Arrancar had crowded around him, eager to capture him and gain the accolades of their leader. None of them had noticed Tempest arriving behind them, not until she killed two of their comrades. Their attention now drawn to Tempest, they had also failed to notice Bard's two new arms literally exploding from their sockets. Taking exception to the way they had wounded him, Bard picked up his two severed arms and proceeded to beat the remaining Arrancar to death with them, killing two before his arms dissolved. They had finished the last enemy off together, their Cero's overwhelming him.

Upon her rock, Tempest gave no sign that she noticed Ichigo's release, but Bard glanced briefly in the Vaizard's direction, speculating as to what had prompted him to do so. His vibrant green eyes shone as they regarded the pillar of blue reiatsu rising from Ichigo's location, visible from even this distance.

Bard held back a small shudder. He really was a scary human.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo stared in shock as Hollow Rukia grinned back at him. He brought his blade up, intending to shatter her mask, when her face grimaced in pain.

"**Don't. Not if you want her to live.**" Hollow Rukia rasped.

It was only then that Ichigo glanced at the wound in her stomach. His eyes traveled along the length of the slash, only then realising how deep the would actually was.

"**That's right. I'm the only thing keeping Queenie alive right now.**" Hollow Rukia seemed to delight in this fact.

"She wouldn't be like that if you hadn't fought her in the first place!" Ichigo snapped in reply.

"**Do you want me to let her die right now?**" Hollow Rukia hissed.

"Yeah, like you'd do that! You need her to live if you want to stay alive too!"

**King, this isn't going anywhere. Let me take control of your body to talk to her.** Hichigo suggested.

_Like hell. _Ichigo snarled. _Half the time, you still want to kill Rukia. If not that, you'll run off with her and do god knows what. You can materialise like last time if you wanna talk to her. _

**She'll trust me more if I use your body. **Hichigo argued. **Besides, you promised me time out to talk to their Hollow!**

Hollow Rukia watched as Ichigo appeared to be debating within himself. She was healing the Queen's body as quickly as possible, but it was still slow going, seeing as she was still the Horse.

_**Ichigo, together we can keep him in check if you allow Hichigo the use of your body.**_ Zangetsu interjected, lessening Ichigo's aversion to the idea.

Ichigo mulled it over, appearing to be swayed by the knowledge that he could still control his Hollow.

_Fine._ Ichigo finally replied. _But if you try to harm Rukia, I'm putting you back to sleep. Permanently. Training be damned._

Hichigo swallowed at the seriousness of Ichigo's threat. **Fine, King. I won't touch your precious Queen.**

Ichigo closed his eyes, cutting Hollow Rukia from his sight. She watched with interest as his reiatsu darkened, and a half mask formed on his face. When he opened his eyes again, they were that familiar gold and black. Hichigo's grin stretched across his face as he regarded Hollow Rukia before him.

"**So, bitch. How've you been?**"

"**If the Queen hadn't fucked up and nearly gotten herself killed I would end you.**" Hollow Rukia hissed. She seemed to be good at that.

"**Please.**" Hichigo snorted. "**I was watching what you did while the King was fighting. I saw how you tried to take control. I at least had the manners to take control **_**after**_** the King nearly got himself killed, instead of causing it.**"

"**Maybe that's why I'm going to become the Queen, and you're going to remain the Horse.**" Hollow Rukia replied nastily.

"**You can't get me all riled up like you did the King.**" Hichigo was unperturbed. "**How's the healing going?**"

"**Slowly.**" Hollow Rukia replied reluctantly.

Hichigo plunged Zangetsu into the sand beside him. Quickly, he slit his wrist lengthwise, allowing blood to flow freely down his arm. He propped Hollow Rukia's head up, supporting her back with his knee as he crouched beside her.

"**Here.**" He ordered. "**Drink up.**"

Hollow Rukia was disbelieving at first, but after catching the scent of his blood, latched onto his wrist eagerly. She suckled slowly, taking in the taste of Ichigo's blood. She could feel the power within the blood and the gesture, and she could already feel the speed of the healing process increasing. She was grateful for what Hichigo was doing, an emotion that disturbed Hollow Rukia. A Hollow wasn't supposed to feel grateful—was it?

Hichigo could also feel a strange sensation coming over him as he watched Hollow Rukia drink slowly. He saw a trickle of blood spill out from her lips, and without thinking, reached over with his other hand to wipe it from her chin. Hollow Rukia's eyes widened slightly as he did so, and Hichigo couldn't believe he had done that either. That was something the King would do for the Queen, not Hichigo for Hollow Rukia.

Hollow Rukia was completely confused. This was not normal, what was happening between. She was strong. She was an untamed inner hollow. She did not need to accept help from anyone—much less an inner hollow that had already been tamed.

Hichigo watched as the wound on Hollow Rukia's stomach healed. It was tentative, but at least the blood vessels and organs were healed. Skin and muscle could come later. He drew his wrist away from Hollow Rukia, but she shook her head and indicated for him to wait. Gathering her saliva, Hollow Rukia spread it over the cut with her tongue, and when Hichigo drew his arm away, he could see the saliva acting as a clotting agent, causing the cut to scab over immediately. The two Hollow examined it for a moment, and Hollow Rukia had a feeling that what had passed between them wouldn't work with anyone else.

Hichigo slid his arms under Hollow Rukia, lifting her up bridal style. "**Come on.**" He ordered. "**We have a lot to talk about while that little cut on your gut finishes healing.**"

Hichigo disappeared with a burst of Shunpo, heading towards an outcropping of rocks the King and Queen had spent some time at the last time they were in Hueco Mundo. The King had given him a chance to talk to Hollow Rukia, and he wasn't going to waste it. He had questions, and hopefully she had answers.

Especially after what they had just shared.


	17. Crimson Rites

**Before this chapter starts, I have to give credit where it's due. Once again, Arcadia Silver. You guys all owe her too, cause I got a good kick in the arse from that little prick called Writer's Block. But then Arcadia came over and bitch-slapped Writer's Block all the way into next week, thus giving you this chapter. The more...graphic, and involved parts of this first scene are mainly hers.**

**Oh, and I suggest you guys have a look at the story "I'm that stupid, too" By tink4512. Its got a lot of promise....**

**Once again, thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, you guys keep me going. Remember, more reviews, more motivation to update.**

Hichigo flash stepped through the narrow passages created by looming rock on either side effortlessly. His burden was light in his arms, and he took great care to protect her from any unnecessary bumps and scrapes, an action completely out of character from his normally vicious attitude.

His 'burden', glared up at him from her position in his arms. Her half mask was stretched into a pained grimace, although that was caused by a wicked gash across her stomach rather than her current position.

The two Hollow, Hollow wearing Shinigami body's, came to a stop in front of a large boulder with a small alcove at its base that had been roughly carved out.

"**Wait right there, filly.**" Hichigo winked slyly at Hollow Rukia as he set her down on the sand gently. Without waiting for her response, Hichigo turned and began to melt away a larger section of the rock, the Cero glowing in his hand billowing out to carve out an area large enough to stand in, creating a veritable cave disguised by a relatively small entrance.

**And that, King, is how you make a goddamn cave.** Hichigo smirked mentally at Ichigo. He turned to pick up Hollow Rukia, taking note of the raised eyebrow on an otherwise blank face.

"**Mare? You're calling me a **_**mare**_**?**"

Hichigo snickered as he angled his body sideways to slide through the narrow entrance, opening up into the cave beyond. "**Why not? I'm the horse, so that makes you the mare.**"

Hollow Rukia's reply was sarcastic to say the least. "**Oh, I beg to differ. You're no horse, you're a jackass. Ugly, stubborn, smelly, and infertile.**" She snorted.

Hichigo ignored the sudden cackling from Ichigo in the backseat and scowled heavily. He gave Ichigo a mental slap and refocused on Hollow Rukia as he let her slide out of his arms, settling her on her own two feet. "**Tch. Whatever.**" He eyed her still healing stomach wound. Muscle was re knitting itself even as he watched. "**You have decent regeneration even at this stage in your development?**" He raised an eyebrow of his own.

Hollow Rukia's eyes shone with naked hunger and maybe just a hint of lust, visible even in the dark recess of the cave. "**To a point. The process was...hastened by your King's blood.**" She licked her lips, a contrast of crimson against her pale white skin. "**It was delicious.**" She hesitated, seemingly reluctant to voice her next request, unused to actually asking for anything she desired. "**Can I have more?**" Her voice was filled with wanton need.

Hichigo smirked, an ear to ear grin capable of striking fear into the staunchest of opponents. But not her. "**Only if I get to taste you too.**"

His only answer was a slim wrist shoved in front of his face, her expression becoming lustful. "**Drink. Take your fill.**" Her voice was dark, seductive, breathless.

Hichigo's grin widened even more, if at all possible, as he forcibly moved her wrist out of the way. There was a wicked gleam in his eyes, as he leaned in and latched onto Hollow Rukia's neck, piercing her skin with his fang like canines. Her body went limp against his own, and his arms latched around her petite body to support her.

But then clawed fingers delved into his hair, fastening his mouth against the pulse point that throbbed under his lips. Liquid heat gushed into his mouth, the first taste of the coppery tang of her blood against his tongue, but following after it was a swell of something more. The taste of iron and plasma was gone in the avalanche of pure ice surging through his veins as her raw, undiluted power crashed through him in waves of searing white. He collapsed, taking her down beneath him, incapable of standing against the torrent of sensations.

She shuddered underneath him, low gravelly moans rebounding off the walls as she pressed herself against him. Ichigo's mental groan of bliss echoed the one that rumbled past his Hollow's lips. The Queen's hollow whimpered softly at the vibration against her skin before she reared her head back and with a deep roar, sank her own fangs into the juncture of his exposed neck.

Stars exploded behind his eyes as both he and Ichigo roared together at the sensation of her mouth sucking at the tender flesh of their throat, swallowing down their power in ravenous gulps. If her power was like tasting the irrevocable power of a glacier, his was like drinking pure lightening. She scratched feverishly at his back and she parted her lips just long enough from her feast to beg of him, "**More, take **_**more.**_"

His weight pinning her down, his mouth snarling against her skin, ravenously consuming that addictive, delicious icy power - oh fuck, it was better than any fight could ever be, there was no power rush like this - and he ground his hips into hers mindlessly. Nothing was left but the taste of blood, power, and raw, brutal instinct.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck _fuck_, Hichigo, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?" Ichigo howled as he lay shaking on the floor of his inner world, shaking, shivering, hot and cold, biting back the urge to scream. All he received in reply was the violent shaking of the sky of his inner world, a sky that had been dyed red by the fury of his Hollow's passion. The sky shook again, and all he got was the mindless, snarling chant of his Hollow. "**Mine, mine, mine. Blood mine. Mate mine. Power mine. Mine, mine, MINE!**" Savage swaths of red danced across his vision and Ichigo gave up trying to think and let go of his control, head wrenching back and his body arcing as he screamed out one long, needing, delirious howl.

"RUKIA!"

Hichigo was lost. Completely, utterly lost. He was screaming with every thrust into her, their clothing ragged strips around them, long ago shredded away. Sight and smell were vague sensations from another life, all that mattered was the slick, clenching heat around him that he kept slamming into with every mote of strength he possessed, as if to thrust her through the very stone itself; all that mattered was the flavor of her power still burning on his tongue and the pristine, screaming power that burned through his veins and into his very flesh. One more taste. One more drop against his tongue was all he wanted before he surrendered what was left of his sanity to this. He leaned forward, clutching her head between his clawed hands.

"**Look at me!**" He screamed. Her eyes flung open, breathless moans tearing from her throat. "**You. Are. MINE.**" Every word punctuated with a thrust into her clenching and spasming core that made her arch her hips up into his. "**Forever! You belong to ME!**" His fangs tore into a vein and a new swell of blood lathed his tongue.

He screamed. All was white and crystalline ice, reality was torn away and gone, leaving nothing but perfect mindless nothing in its wake.

And then there was white, and the feeling of her body pressed against his, feeling every curve and contour, before deep, blissful sleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hichigo woke to the faint sound of suckling, and a cool, pleasant sensation on his neck. The cool sensation left and was quickly replaced by a dry burning, which was quickly soothed once again by the coolness.

He cracked his eyes open, seeing a small, raven head nuzzling at his neck. Hollow Rukia lay across his body, her breasts pressing into his chest as her tongue lapped at the puncture marks on his neck, eager for any lasting taste. Hichigo smirked and placed his hands on her ass, alerting her to his wakeful state. She leaned back to meet his eyes, and Hichigo's attention was drawn to a trail of blood that trailed from her neck, down across her breast, before settling on her stomach. It was still wet.

Not bothering to waste words, Hichigo's mouth was at her neck, not biting, but indulging in the last of the blood that had drained from her powerful veins. He flipped her over swiftly, eliciting a small gasp of surprise as he followed the red trail down, licking clean every last drop of blood that adorned her perfect skin, his tongue lingering briefly on her pert breast, before continuing down to lap at the last vestiges of blood that had gathered on her stomach, delighting in the taste of snow and ice.

Hollow Rukia busied herself with the blood that was now leaking from the many deep gouges across Hichigo's back, gouges inflicted by her claw-like nails during their blood sharing. Running her tongue along each gouge, she shuddered against Hichigo at the raw feeling of power that ran through her with the tang of his blood. Where her tongue could not reach, Hollow Rukia brought the blood to her mouth with her fingers, sucking each digit dry.

The two Hollow focused utterly on the other's body, intent on claiming each drop of precious blood left. When the crimson gold was all gone, they sat there naked, holding each other in a fierce, possessive grip.

"**Mine now. All mine.**" Hichigo growled into her ear.

"**Possession goes both ways....Stallion.**" Hollow Rukia licked her lips as she remembered their crimson encounter. "**And you are **_**all**_** mine.**"

Hichigo raised an eyebrow with a devilish smirk. "**Stallion?**"

Hollow Rukia shrugged, a cheeky grin stretching across her face. "**Stallion, Mate, Slave. Whichever you prefer.**"

Hichigo chuckled darkly. "**I think you know, mare.**" Then he changed the subject. "**So, you ever had a fight as good as that?**"

Hollow Rukia didn't have to ask what 'that' was. "**Never. No fight could ever be as exhilarating as that.**" She said it flatly, without any doubt in her words.

Hichigo gave a melancholic sigh. "**It's a shame, then...**"

Hollow Rukia pulled back from his embrace slightly, looking him in the eye. "**What do you mean, a shame?**" She asked narrowly.

Hichigo shrugged. "**You want to become the Queen of that body. If you do that, there's no chance in hell the King will let me out to play.**"

Hollow Rukia's eyes widened, actually fearful of that consequence. So fresh in her mind, she would never risk not being able to do it again. "**There has to be a way we can have our Crimson Rites.**"

Hichigo cocked his head to the side, as if considering an idea. "**If you were to stay the horse...**"

Hollow Rukia's eyes narrowed, weighing up the pros and cons. Then she shot a look at Hichigo. "**Don't think I don't see what you're doing. You've made a deal with the King so that the Queen will stay in control.**"

Hichigo nodded freely. "**Yeah. He said when they're not distracted, he'd let me out to play with you at least twice a month.**"

"**Your King agreed to that?**" Hollow Rukia was surprised. "**Is he awake now?**" She questioned.

"**Awake and listening intently. What about the Queen?**" Hichigo responded.

Hollow Rukia shook her head slowly. "**The Queen in still unconscious....or asleep.**"

Hichigo smirked widely as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "**You could throw the fight, you know. And then after, we could have our...dark celebration.**"

Hollow Rukia was torn. She detested being subservient to any, and was convinced her rightful place was as the Queen. On the other hand, the sex and bloodletting she had experienced with Hichigo was beyond anything she had ever felt or heard of.

"**I'll......consider it.**" Hollow Rukia allowed. "**But either way, our fight for control will come before the end of the week.**" She promised, an evil smirk pulling at her lips.

Hichigo's smirk dwarfed her own. "**I hope you lose. I want to do this again.**" Then he leaned in further, nibbling on her neck. "**And again, and again, and again...**"

Hollow Rukia pressed her neck into Hichigo's mouth, urging him to bite down, but he drew back, knowing the action would leave her wanting. "**We should probably get back. They'll be wondering where we've gotten to.**" He said conversationally.

They two Hollow regained their feet, and Hichigo's eyes were drawn to Hollow Rukia's attire....or rather, her lack of it.

"**But first, you're putting on something that can pass for clothes.**" He snarled at the thought of anyone seeing the Queen _or_ the Mare besides the King or himself.

"**What about you?**" Hollow Rukia asked. She wasn't exactly enthused by the idea of Nel or Tempest seeing her Stallion in this state.

Hichigo stooped down and picked up a torn portion of his Bankai cloak, tyeing it around his waist. It covered the important parts. The front half, anyway. Barely.

"**There. That good enough?**" Hichigo snarled. He was more concerned with getting some clothes on her, a rather extreme change in attitude from the norm.

Hollow Rukia found a portion of her shihakusho that would serve as a skirt, tying it off at her hip. It covered halfway down her thighs, but it would have to do, Hichigo thought. Besides, he could enjoy the view of what was on display without getting overly angry that others could also see it.

They searched for another piece capable of covering her breasts, but the best they could come up with was a long, thin strip of cloth, left over from the bindings Rukia usually wore under her robe. It covered her nipples and not much else.

The two Hollow examined each other, making sure their 'property' wasn't completely bared. They both gave a huff that said they were satisfied with the other.

"**Come on. Time to head back to base.**" Hichigo offered his arm to Hollow Rukia and she took it, like a twisted, evil version of a giggling school girl.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Grimmjow stared, his jaw drooping unnoticed, as Hichigo and Hollow Rukia walked casually into the room that he, Nel, Tempest and Bard were waiting in for their return.

"What in the great, bloody, unholy fuck did you guys fight out there?" Grimmjow's eyes bulged as he took in their appearances. Barely clothed, if you could even call it that, the two Vaizard's bodies were covered in bruises, scratches, and bite marks.

"**The 5****th**** Espada, Grimm-kitty.**" Hichigo's breath appeared to steam with cold as he spoke.

Another time, Grimmjow would have been up in arms about the change to his name, but he was distracted by the half mask covering his rival's face. "Who the fuck are you?"

Hichigo snorted. "**Hichigo, dumb shit. I'm the King's hollow.**"

Tempest was running her eyes over Ichigo's body, examining his injuries. Unfortunately, Hollow Rukia took this the wrong way. "**What do you think you're looking at, bitch?! That meat is mine!**"

Grimmjow stared at the previously calm and collected shinigami, noting the half mask that also covered her face. ".....that's her hollow?"

Hichigo slung a friendly arm over Grimmjow's shoulders. It was freezing. "**Yeah, and if you so much as look at her the wrong way, I'll be taking that jawbone on your face and shoving it so far up your arse, it'll come out your nose, ok?**"

Hichigo removed his arm from Grimmjow's shoulders as the former Sexta Espada stared at him, slightly nonplussed.

"**Come on, filly.**" Hichigo ordered. "**The King is starting to wake up. We're going back to the room.**"

Hollow Rukia gave Tempest one last glare before sauntering over to Hichigo, wrapping her arm around his waist as she did so. They strode from the room, Hichigo giving them all a good view of Ichigo's bare arse as they did so.

As soon as they left the room, Grimmjow and Nel broke out into snickers, that soon escalated into full on laughter. After a short outburst, they calmed down, but all decorum was lost at the shout that echoed from the direction of the Vaizard's quarters.

"SHIRO, YOU BASTARD!!"

Grimmjow sighed dramatically as the one sided death threats continued to echo down the glass halls. "I'll go find some clothes..."

Nel clutched her sides, struggling to control her laughter at Ichigo's final comment.

"And why is it so fucking COLD?!?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Inoue Orihime watched as Tatsuki and Yoruichi continued to spar, their hands and feet a deadly blur. Ever since Urahara's announcement that the Vaizard would arrive in just over a week—one week exactly now—Tatsuki had thrown her all into training. And she wasn't the only one. Chad and Renji were dueling nearby, throwing up clouds of dust and showers of rock with their attacks. Ishida was pursing Soi Fon around the basement, the two of them blurs amidst flashes of blue and white. Urahara was talking quietly with Hitsugaya, their zanpukutou resting across their laps, while Tessai was sitting calmly next to Inoue, watching the training occurring around them. There was a feeling in the air, a feeling that was brought on by the calm before the storm, and everyone was doing their best to prepare for it.

Tatsuki was becoming irritated with herself. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how hard she pushed, she just couldn't land a blow on her mentor. Under each and every flurry of blows, Yoruichi would just grin and return a flurry of her own, giving her just enough time to block. Tatsuki felt that she was being toyed with, and that was something that did not go down well with her.

Tatsuki leapt up to gain some extra height, intending to bring her elbow down on Yoruichi's head. At the last second, Yoruichi moved to the side, her hand coming up to catch Tatsuki's elbow. She used Tatsuki's own momentum against, her, bringing her down into the dirt, driving the wind from her. Tatsuki rolled to avoid the blows raining down from above, twisting around on her back, bringing her legs around to sweep Yoruichi's own from under her. Yoruichi skipped lightly into the air, coming down on top of Tatsuki's legs. Tatsuki jerked her legs, causing Yoruichi to trip and fall—or so she thought. Yoruichi fell gracefully, twisting her legs around Tatsuki's own as she did so. Tatsuki could feel her legs being twisted, forced into a submission hold, and moved to do the same to Yoruichi's arms. They grappled on the ground, Tatsuki reaching for Yoruichi's wrist and twisting it, only to find the grip turned back on herself. Using the grips she had on her arms and legs, Yoruichi twisted Tatsuki's entire body around, and Tatsuki was forced to arc her body into Yoruichi's own to prevent her from snapping any of her limbs.

"Good work." Yoruichi spoke softly into Tatsuki's ear. She released her holds on Tatsuki's limbs, allowing the younger woman to rub them sorely.

Tatsuki sat up and grumbled. "Good work? I didn't even land a clean blow on you..."

Yoruichi laughed freely as she gazed up at the artificial sky. "Little Bird, you're holding your own. That's a lot more than even most lieutenant's can do."

"You were holding back though." Tatsuki blushed at the mention of the nickname Yoruichi had given her.

Yoruichi waved it off. "I always hold back in low level training. When you can use your abilities without fear of losing yourself, then we'll see how you go with high level." She motioned for Tatsuki to lay back down. "Let's take a break. I'm beat." She gave a large yawn and curled up. Cat like.

"El Directo!" Chad grunted as he fired off another blast, determined to catch Renji. He had been eluding him for the better part of their training session, but Chad could feel himself closing in. Even without his Bankai, Renji was a good training opponent.

Renji dodged the blast, only to come face to face with yet another. Without the time to dodge, he did the only thing he could.

Chad let a small smile slip across his face for a moment as his attack made contact with his training partner. He was getting faster.

When the smoke cleared, Zabimaru was twisting and twining around Renji, having been released in the seconds before impact. The teeth of the blade gleamed with hunger.

**Solid defense. Good footwork too.**

Renji faltered as his hollow spoke up. His hollow always confused him when it made its presence know, offering compliments or advice. Ichigo had always made it sound like his hollow constantly antagonised him, making threats whenever it felt like it. Renji wasn't sure if the compliments freaked him out more or less than threats. He shrugged, and sent Zabimaru flying towards Chad with a grin.

Ishida pursued Soi Fon around the basement with a hail of arrows. He knew she was fleeing because it suited her, and not because she was incapable of retaliating. He began to adjust the flight of his arrows, herding his opponent into a corner, slowly, subtly.

Soi Fon caught on to his ploy quickly, and in a flash was at his back, her Shunko trailing behind her. Ishida spun around quickly, bringing his bow to bear as as burst of Shunko swept towards his chest, only to be met by a storm of concentrated arrows. The resulting explosion threw them both back, shielding their faces from the tendrils of the blast with their arms. Ishida landed lightly and looked around for his opponent, preparing himself for an attack from any direction. There was a swish of cloth behind his back, and then a sword was held around his throat.

"You're dead, Quincy." Soi Fon smirked victoriously. It had not been easy to close on him, despite what he had thought, and the Quincy's power was not to be dismissed out of hand.

Ishida coughed delicately. "Actually, so are you, Shinigami."

Soi Fon looked down to see Ishida's free hand holding a small metal object at her stomach, not at his bow where she had assumed it to be.

"That device is known as Seele Schneider. The only edged Quincy weapon. When activated, it vibrates at extremely high frequency's, and steals reiatsu from my opponent." Ishida allowed a small look of pride to cross his face. "I once relied upon my father for them, but now I am capable of building my own."

Soi Fon stepped back, eying the deadly weapon in Ishida's hands. "A draw, then." She was unwilling to admit defeat.

Ishida sighed, knowing how close the outcome had been, only having been alerted to her presence by the swish of cloth before the blade was held at his throat. "Yes, a draw."

Inoue sighed as she watched her nakama practice, their skills growing. She wished Kurosaki-kun was here. He would help her grow, encourage her as she trained, and be impressed and grateful when she healed him. If only she could help him, help him suppress his hollow. Then he would be perfect, and he would do anything to thank her.

Inoue closed her eyes, and allowed her mind to picture his perfect face. _Please keep him safe. _She prayed. _Please let me find a way to cure him of his hollow. Please let him notice me._

Inoue prayed, wishing for a way to be with Kurosaki-kun. If only none of it had never happened, if only he never became a Shinigami. Things would be better that way. They would be together by now. If only Kuchiki-san had never come into his life, they would have been together by now. She was sure of it.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Shinji winced as he lay down, wishing his bed was slightly softer. His skin was a beautiful lobster red, the consequence of spending too long sunbathing on the main deck during the day. It had seemed like a good idea, to hang with all the lovely topless sunbathing women, but he hadn't counted on being....distracted.....to such an extent while he was up there. He could hear whispers outside his door.

Kensei and Rose had been stopped in their tracks at the sight of a sunburned Shinji. If you can imagine the blond hair, vibrant red skin, complimented by a pair of bright yellow board shorts, you've got a good idea of why they were stopped so effectively in their tracks.

"Why was he up there for so long?" Kensei whispered.

"Lisa was sunbathing topless. He got distracted and lost track of time." Rose replied, also whispering. They didn't want to be overheard talking about their leader's plight.

All stealth was lost when the two men looked at each other before breaking out into loud, throaty guffaws. It was just too funny not to. Oh, he would never hear the end of this, not for at least another century.

Shinji groaned as he heard the loud guffaws on the other side of the door. He lay on his side, the one part of his body that was only mildly sunburned, and asked himself one last question.

Why did he have to choose to sit in front of the damn tanning mirror?!?

**And that's it. Shorter than usual, I know. But I need some time to gather more material...so perhaps a few updates of Traitor's Promise are in order....**

**Either way, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you to everyone who is reading and enjoying so far, and remember, more reviews mean a faster update!**


	18. New Faces

**I'd just like to say, I love Bach. Great music. Now enjoy the chapter.**

Three days had passed since 'The Incident' as Ichigo and Rukia were referring to it. Most of the bruises and bite marks had healed, with the exception of the particularly deep bites on their necks. To make things worse, Hollow Rukia had remained in control of Rukia's body for a good ten minutes after Ichigo regained his own body, taunting and teasing Ichigo mercilessly. His muscles too sore to do anything but watch, he had been forced to 'endure' as Hollow Rukia slowly performed a sexy strip tease for his enjoyment, tearing his own clothing off him in the process. To cap it all off, Hollow Rukia had chosen to collapse on top of Ichigo moments before relinquishing control to Rukia. Rukia had regained control to find herself naked and lying on top of Ichigo, with his 'appreciation' of her position pressing firmly into her pelvis. It had taken a further ten minutes for her to find the energy to roll off, exhausted as she was from both the healing of her stomach wound, and her Hollow's rather enthusiastic use of her body. Especially since she was still slightly sore from her frolicking with Ichigo the night before, despite the healing Kido she had cast over herself.

Needless to say, Rukia hadn't been sure whether to feel pissed at her hollow or irritated with herself. Grimmjow's smug face hadn't helped things when he had sauntered into their room to find the two Shinigami recuperating in another hot bath, resting on each others shoulders. His sly comment on Rukia's attire upon her return had given Ichigo the boost to leap from the water (naked) and beat Grimmjow over the head as the Arrancar fled, leaving a trail of mocking laughter behind, shouting that Ichigo was worse than his Hollow for parading around naked, dropping several articles of clothing as he did.

Ichigo lifted Rukia from the once warm bath, drying her with his clothes before dressing her in her own. She had promptly fallen asleep, but not before ordering Ichigo from the room, with instructions to "warm the fuck up" before he tried to even sleep _near_ her.

The two lovers had begun to throw all their efforts into training, now that the immediate Arrancar threat had been removed. Ichigo's hollow had been more than cooperative in the past few days, appearing to be almost contented after his escapade with Hollow Rukia.

Rukia was now sparring lazily with Nel, working on her swordsmanship, while Ichigo and Grimmjow were trading heavy barehanded blows, seemingly intent on causing the other to shed as much blood as possible, as Bard watched on. Tempest was nowhere to be seen.

Ichigo and Grimmjow were almost mirror images of the other, save for the orange and blue hair. Ichigo was wearing a pair of baggy Espada trousers, and an open white jacket. His red baldric was slung around his torso, although Zangetsu was currently resting against the cave wall.

Ichigo's limbs glowed with reiatsu as he sent his fist crashing into Grimmjow's jaw. Grimmjow grinned even as his head snapped back, before sinking his foot deep into Ichigo stomach. Ichigo coughed up blood even as he surged forward, cracking his elbow into Grimmjow's nose. The two began to circle each other warily as blood flowed freely from Grimmjow's nose and leaked from Ichigo's mouth.

"Tired already?" Grimmjow taunted.

Ichigo drew in a breath before replying. "Not a chance." He smirked.

The two charged towards each other with a yell.

Rukia was concentrating intensely, searching for a way past Neliel's defense. She attacked with a series of two handed heavy overhead blows, scowling when each was met directly by Nel's blade. Rukia changed to a one handed grip, attempting to carve Nel's guard away and create an opening with small, glancing blows.

Nel watched Rukia's style carefully, analyzing her strengths and weaknesses. She almost shook her head in disapproval when Rukia attacked using brute strength, but allowed a small smile to cross her face when Rukia began to attack more deviously.

The small shinigami was dressed in tight white pants, with a long over skirt that reached her knees. Her shirt was tight, form fitting, and covered her entire torso from her neck to her wrists.

Rukia flicked the tip of her blade to the side with a deft twist of her wrist, creating an opening in Nel's defense. She lunged forward, only for Nel to turn to the side, allowing Rukia's blade to pass by harmlessly. Rukia attempted to bring her blade to bear once again, but Nel had brought her own blade up, effectively blocking Rukia's attack.

"Good work." Nel nodded approvingly.

Rukia made a face as she lowered her blade. "I still couldn't get past your defense."

"You're closer than you were two days ago." Nel pointed out. "If you had a second blade, you would have made it past my guard."

"But I don't have a second blade." Rukia replied, sheathing Sode no Shirayuki. "And a simple sword is no substitute for a zanpukutou."

Nel shrugged. "Just an errant thought." Then she looked over at the brawl that was Ichigo, Grimmjow and Bard, the short Vasto Lorde having been somehow drawn into the fight. "Time for a break, I think."

Rukia nodded, turning to gaze at the miniature battle as well. "ICHIGO!!" She shouted.

"WHAT!" Ichigo screamed a reply as both Grimmjow and Bard took advantage of his lapse in concentration, kicking him bodily in the chest and propelling him out of the fight.

"I think it's time for a break." Rukia observed dryly, as Ichigo picked himself up from his ungraceful landing position on the floor in front of her.

Ichigo dusted himself off, slightly dazed by his impact with the ground. "A break?" He replied woozily.

Rukia sighed and rolled her eyes skyward. "Yes dear. It's what we call it when we rest."

Ichigo allowed himself to be led over to the side of the cavern that they were once again training in, illuminated by the gaping hole he had inadvertently blown in the roof during his Kido training. He leaned against the cavern wall and slid down, allowing Rukia to rest her head on his shoulder when she joined him.

"How's the training with Nel going?" Ichigo murmured quietly.

"Well enough." Rukia replied reluctantly. "I haven't managed to get past her guard though." The fact that she hadn't even been able to inflict a clean blow on her opponent in three days was a blow to her self-confidence, regardless of what she told herself. She was a lieutenant of the Gotei 13, and to not even be able to land a clean blow was degrading. "She probably isn't even trying her hardest."

"Rukia." Ichigo's voice was firm. "Nel isn't the type to coddle you. She certainly isn't the type to hold back just so you can land a blow."

"Even so--" Rukia continued.

"Even so nothing." Ichigo interrupted her. "She was the 3rd Espada, and you've been relying on Zanjetsu only, as well as coping with an Inner Hollow."

Rukia was quiet for several moments, considering what Ichigo had told her. Then she smiled softly. "Thank you, Ichigo." She turned stern. "Don't think this means I won't hit you if you begin to act foolishly again."

Ichigo chuckled. "I'm just paying back what you did for me, Rukia. What you did when you appeared in the window of my class that day, and dragged me off to fight that hollow, will be more than you'll ever know." He paused, before grinning at Rukia's surprised expression. "Now don't expect me to be mushy like this too often. I have an image to uphold."

Rukia reached back and smacked Ichigo over the head, grinning wickedly as he cursed her action. They sat together quietly for several minutes, watching as Grimmjow and Bard continued to belt the fuck out of each other, wincing every time Bard had an arm torn off. Tempest arrived, and began to converse softly with Nel in another corner of the cavern.

"Ichigo...."

"Hmm?"

"I haven't heard anything from my hollow in the last coupe of days..." Rukia trailed off. "Should I be worried?"

Ichigo faltered in his reply, remembering the conversation he had been privy to before falling asleep in his inner world three days previous.

_Hichigo smirked widely as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "__**You could throw the fight, you know. And then after, we could have our...dark celebration.**__"_

"_**I'll......consider it.**__" Hollow Rukia allowed. "__**But either way, our fight for control will come before the end of the week.**__" She promised, an evil smirk pulling at her lips. _

Rukia watched as Ichigo frowned, considering his answer. _Her hollow said she 'might' throw the fight....but with inner hollow, you can never tell. Should I tell her? I know Rukia is strong, but I don't want to make her underestimate her hollow._

"I wouldn't worry about it." Ichigo replied finally. "Hichigo left me alone for days at a time at some points, and then sometimes he wouldn't shut up." Rukia's worried expression faded away, even as a smirk appeared on Ichigo's face. "I'm just glad I'm back to a normal temperature and my breath has stopped steaming." He snorted.

"You had to burn through so much reiatsu to get mine out of your system you might as well have stayed cold." Rukia pointed out. "There's nothing wrong with a little ice and snow."

"There is when it's running through my veins." Ichigo argued. "And if my reiatsu hadn't gone towards healing your stomach wound, you would've had to do the same."

"Stop complaining Ichigo!" Rukia's statement was accompanied by another smack to the head, as she hid a smile. "Everybody loves the snow!" She finished fiercely.

Ichigo opened his mouth to retort, but Rukia cut him off by calling out loudly. "Grimmjow! He's ready to start training again!"

"Traitor..." Ichigo muttered, before letting out a surprised yelp as both Grimmjow and Bard appeared on either side of him, lifting him bodily and throwing him back out to the centre of the cavern. Grimmjow bowed mockingly to Rukia before springing after Bard, who was already trading blows with Ichigo.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Shimizu Kimiko flounced out of the Central 46 chambers alongside four of her fellow Kagai Captain's.

After the disastrous attempt to replace the 11th Squad Captain, their three superiors within the Central 46 had decided to give the original Gotei Captain's time to get used to the idea of their new comrades, separating them from their Kagai rivals, despite the fact that as far as they knew, the Gotei 13 had no knowledge of their affiliation with the Central 46.

After three days, the Kagai captains were permitted to meet their subordinates for the first time, and were now making their way to their Division headquarters.

Shimizu gave her fellow Kagai members a sickly sweet smile. "I'm off to put my Squad in their place and make sure they know the white haired midget taicho is gone now." Her blonde pigtails swished through the air as she turned and disappeared with a whisper of shunpo.

Hayashi Kaede gave a stern glare to the remaining Captains, the wrinkled lines over her forehead furrowing down. "It's time I introduced discipline to the 9th Squad." She flash stepped away without another word.

Nakajima Hayato stroked his finely trimmed beard, a beard that he had painstakingly groomed around his mouth and up his jawline, before disappearing without a word to his comrades.

Tanaka Hikari turned to Nakamura Sachike, only to find that the new 2nd Division Captain had already slipped away. The 3rd Squad Taicho gave a surprised hum, before extending his hum into a veritable symphony. His humming dropped off abruptly, before he too flash stepped away towards his own Division headquarters.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Hey Matsumoto-fukutaicho, when do you think our new taicho will be arriving?" A male squad member called out.

Matsumoto blinked lazily from her position lounged out in the 10th Squad courtyard. "I don't know. We should all take advantage of this wondrous opportunity to laze about!" She winked at the squad member that had questioned her, leaning forward slightly. "Hitsugaya-taicho will be back sooner or later, so we've got to enjoy this while it lasts." Rangiku yawned, stretching her arms out and treating the assembled squad members to a rather spectacular sight.

"Git your breasts out of my face lady."

Rangiku looked around in surprise, not accustomed to being told by her squad members to conceal her....assets. She found the culprit in a small, blonde girl with pigtails and a pinched face. She knew immediately that this was the so called 'replacement' for Toushirou. Rangiku pasted a grin across her face and leapt up from her perch on a wooden walkway.

"Oh, you're just too cute!" Rangiku squeezed Shimizu's cheeks in front of the twenty or so squad members present. Ignoring the furious expression on the short captain's face, Rangiku reached up and ruffled her hair.

"Get off me, you big titted cow!!" Shimizu screeched. She couldn't believe she was being treated so casually. This woman had to learn that she was there to cater to her whims, not make free with her person!

Rangiku took a step back, placing a hand on her chest, a shocked expression on her face. "Taicho! Just because your own mosquito bites can't compare doesn't mean you have to make fun of my breasts!"

A few of the onlookers snickered loudly.

Shimizu's face rapidly turned red, as she subconsciously crossed her arms over her chest. "Breasts!!" She snorted. "I thought you'd stuffed pig fat into your shihakusho!"

The squad members present all took in a sharp breath. She might be their new captain, but not even her childish appearance would save her from their vice captain's wrath. She had crossed a line, and those who did so with Matsumoto Rangiku invariably regretted it.

But Shimizu wasn't finished yet. She continued to screech at her vice captain, furious with her reception at the hands of the 10th Squad. "You need to treat your Captain with proper respect!"

Matsumoto propped her hands up on her hips. "I'll show you respect when you do the same for me, Miss Mosquito Bites!"

"Suspended!" Shimizu howled, scarlet with rage. Spittle was flying from her lips, and she would have been intimidating if it weren't for her young girlish voice. "Suspended until I decide you're fit to serve as my lieutenant!"

Rangiku suddenly grinned deviously, causing Shimizu to back up slightly. Had she made a mistake?

"Boys, I trust you'll do your work well while I'm gone." She winked at the squad members present. "Make sure you work just as hard as I always did for Hitsugaya-tai—I mean Hitsugaya-kun." She turned, catching the knowing eyes of several comrades, silently promising to make life hard for their new captain. With a swish of her hips, Rangiku swept from the 10th Division courtyard, leaving behind a slightly confused Captain and a number of scheming Shinigami.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hayashi Kaede strode through the halls of the 9th Division, nodding swiftly to each subordinate she passed, receiving a low bow in return. The thin old woman made her way to the Captain's quarters, intending to send a hell butterfly to her lieutenant once she arrived, so as to make him aware to her expectations.

She was surprised when upon entering her office, she was confronted by a scarred and tattooed individual wearing a fukutaicho's insignia. She ran her eyes over him carefully, taking in his wild, even slightly savage appearance.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hayashi-taicho." Hisagi bowed slightly. "I am Hisagi Shuuhei-fukutaicho." He finished in a quiet, polite voice, taking in her stern looking face, and her graying hair that was done up in a severe bun.

If Kaede was taken back by the contrast between Hisagi's appearance and manners, she didn't show it. "Likewise, Hisagi-fukutaicho." She paused, pursing her lips. "I'm not going to waste any time getting this Division back into shape, Vice Captain. Discipline, no doubt having grown lax in the absence of a strong authority figure, will be strictly enforced. All rules and regulations will be adhered to, and I will brook no opposition in this matter. Is this clear?"

Hisagi's countenance had darkened at the implied insult of the Squad having no strong authority figure to guide it. "I have been guiding the 9th in the absence of the Captain and I assure you, you will find no lack in discipline here."

"You have just proved my point." Kaede responded coldly. "Subordinates will accept instruction without question, and that includes yourself. You are no longer the highest ranking member of this Division, and you would do well to remember that it is I that this Division serves, not you."

Hisagi bowed deeply, so as not to reveal the spark of dissent in his eyes. The former Captain Tousen had always had a certain feel about him, as if he followed another path, another leader. And while Hisagi know knew whom he had looked to for instructions, he did not know who his newest Captain looked to, as Hayashi Kaede had that same 'scent' about her presence.

His new Captain would need to do a lot more than wear a haori to gain the loyalty of his Division, and she would never gain his so long as she obeyed orders outside of those coming from the Soutaicho.

"I expect total obedience in all matters, Hisagi-fukutaicho. Do you understand?" Kaede finished sharply.

Hisagi formed his face into a calm mask before rising to meet her gaze. "I understand, Hayashi-taicho."

He understood all too well.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hinamori Momo waited patiently for her new Captain to arrive. She had received a hell butterfly moments ago from Matsumoto warning her that the new Captain's were meeting with their Division's, and that she was going shopping in Rukongai, if Momo wanted to join her later on. Momo had thanked the older woman, and settled herself in the Captain's office to wait.

She wasn't going to make the mistake of blindly trusting her Captain, not again. This Captain would be carefully observed, evaluated, and judged, because Momo wasn't going to allow herself to be betrayed this time.

The door to the Captain's office was thrown open roughly, and a handsome looking man with a finely trimmed beard and bright blue eyes strode through, several squad members trailing behind him. Any attraction his features held were lost when he addressed her.

"You're the one who didn't see your Captain's betrayal coming?" He asked bluntly.

Momo's face froze, her features becoming icy. The man continued on, ignoring the effect his words had on her.

"I'm Nakajima Hayato, the new Captain." He introduced himself, before turning to the shinigami behind him who were carrying a rather large covered object between the four of them. "Just set it on that wall there." He directed.

The shinigami placed the object carefully against the wall, before pulling the cloth off it at Hayato's direction. A large, smooth mirror was revealed, and Hayato openly admired his reflection for several moments before dismissing the shinigami who had carried it, and turning to face Hinamori once again.

"I won't be coddling you, or anyone else in this Division like Aizen did." He warned. "You'll do your work without interrupting me. I have far more important matters to attend to." He sneaked another look in the mirror.

Hinamori knew already that this man couldn't care less about the wellbeing of his subordinates, not even enough to pretend. He was a hyena, cooperating with the pack so long as there was food to go around, but eating his own brothers the moment food became scarce. Momo could tell it was only a matter of time before he turned on those beneath him, and this time, she wouldn't be unprepared.

This time, she would stop her Captain.

"That's all, for now. Go and tell all the Squad members who your wonderful new Captain is, if you don't mind." Hayato pulled at an errant hair protruding from his dark beard, as Momo rose and made her way through the doors he had thrown open on his way in. "Oh, and you're not to come into this office from now on. Only I'm allowed in." He looked up, his eyes clearly amused at the way he had belittled her. "That's all." He repeated. "Carry on now."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tanaka Hikari downed another sake, as he observed the seated members of his Division arrayed at the tables before him. Upon his arrival at the 3rd Division, a party had been arranged for the officers, and he had received a moderate welcome from the Lieutenant, Kira Izuru. When the lieutenant had mentioned a welcoming party, several squad members had looked worried, as if remembering past events, but the new Captain had quickly agreed, voiding any protests.

The first ten minutes had been...uncomfortable. Tanaka had drawn many stares with his twin forked beard, and had made no effort to initiate any conversation, opting to hum erratically instead. The entire hall had been quiet but for his humming, until Kira had all but shoved a cup of sake into his hands. Tanaka had downed it immediately, and all had seemed relieved at something after examining his reaction. They had leaned forward intently as Tanaka got to his feet, obviously preparing to address them.

"I'm Tanaka Hikari. Pleased ta meet cha."

Tanaka had quickly sat down and called for more sake, as conversations began to break out around the room and a more amiable mood descended on his welcoming party.

Kira watched as his new Captain downed yet another sake. At least this one had no problem handling his alcohol. The man might appear eccentric with his strange beard, but he inspired a certain easy going attitude in those around him once they got to know him. Despite the reservations of some Squad members, Kira was optimistic that perhaps this Captain would make it 'third time lucky' for the 3rd Squad, and actually last long enough to make a difference.

Izuru glanced to his side and found his Captain watching him intently. Slightly unnerved, Kira inclined his head and took another sip of his sake, watching as Tanaka-taicho downed yet another cup in return.

If he kept up like that, he might even be able to give Kyouraku-taicho a run for his money, and that was a bragging right in and of itself.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nakamura Sachike stared impassively at his subordinates gathered in the spartan hall before him. They stared back without hostility. Their loyalty was to a position, not a person, and they had no qualms in accepting this professional, strong, _male_, Captain. Many members of the 2nd Division were of the opinion that a female Captain lacked the strength of will and mentality required to guide the military and Secret Mobile Corps, having been weaned on tales of Shihouin Yoruichi's abandonment of the position, and Soi Fon's subsequent lack of glory.

However, there was one officer whose loyalty ran a little deeper than a rank. Omaeda-fukutaicho owed his life to his true Captain, and despite his common complaining and occasional cowardice, was going to make life hell for the up start until Soi Fon-taicho returned.

"I am Nakamura Sachike, the replacement for Soi Fon-taicho. Show me the same respect you no doubt displayed to her, and we shall have a favorable relationship."

Omaeda reached a greasy hand into his chip packet, withdrawing a handful of its contents and shoveling them into this mouth, making sure to spray as much of it as possible over his new Captain.

After all, the man did say to show him the same respect he had shown for Soi Fon.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Inoue watched as Renji and Tatsuki cuddled together, leaning against a large boulder. Renji was snoring on Tatsuki's shoulder, and she had a tiny grin on her face as she gazed down at him. Inoue sighed slightly. She had thought that with Tatsuki back in the living world, things would go back to the way they were before her friend died, when Tatsuki protected her and listened to her when she talked about Kurosaki-kun.

But now Tatsuki was preoccupied with Renji, and didn't have time to listen to her worries. What if Kuchiki-san and Kurosaki-san somehow got together while they were hiding in Hueco Mundo? What if the small, violet eyed shinigami somehow stole her Kurosaki-kun away from her?

Inoue pulled her knees up against her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She hated it when she felt like this. Kuchiki-san was her friend, but she couldn't help but feel jealous and even slightly hateful when Rukia hung around Kurosaki-kun.

She hated it when she felt needy like this, almost as much as she hated herself when her feelings turned against her friends. She wished Rangiku-san was here. She hadn't felt this depressed for a long time, but when she had, it was Rangiku who had cheered her up, and Rangiku who had listened when she revealed how she felt about Rukia's return to the living world.

Inoue was snapped out of her reverie by the appearance of Yoruichi, Hitsugaya and Soi Fon following close behind.

"It's time you kids got out of this basement. Get some fresh air." Yoruichi winked at Inoue.

"I'd better not be included 'you kids'...." Hitsugaya muttered darkly.

Yoruichi continued, ignoring the short white haired Captain. "Kisuke and I will be going with Tessai to the Shoten, to see what we can recover. It should be slightly safer now."

"In that case, I shall accompany you." Ishida announced from Inoue's right.

Inoue started violently, completely unaware that Ishida had been there. She hadn't even noticed him until he spoke up.

Yoruichi grinned at him. "Uh uh. You're going with Orihime, Chad, Renji and Tatsuki to have a day to yourselves. It'll be the last you have for a while, I think."

Ishida regarded the two Captains behind the dark skinned woman, pleased to see that they were still wearing the black Captain's haori's he had crafted for them. "And what of Hitsugaya and Soi Fon? Are you going to tell them to go on a little play date together?" He pushed his glasses up.

The two mentioned blushed slightly, almost imperceptibly. Powerful warriors they may be, experienced socialites they were not. Yoruichi laughed at their reaction.

"No, they'll be gallivanting around on the opposite side of town, drawing attention away from us while we enter the Shoten. Kisuke's got a few rings for you five, to hide your reiatsu."

Ishida raised an eyebrow. "I am perfectly capable of hiding my own reiatsu."

"Ishida, I hear that these rings were able to hide _Ichigo's_ reiatsu enough for him to sneak up behind you and make you squeal like a little girl, so I'd accept it if I were you." Tatsuki called out, earning a snicker from Renji who was now wide awake, courtesy of his hollow loudly commenting on the beauty of his girlfriend, whereupon Renji had managed to disturb himself by agreeing before considering who he was talking to.

Ishida blushed lightly and pushed his glasses up once more, ignoring Tatsuki's comment. Urahara chose that moment to enter the conversation, skipping into view.

"Time is short!" Urahara sang. "The children have the whole day to themselves, Ururu and Jinta will watch over things here, and Toushirou and Soi Fon will amuse themselves by playing tag with the SMC members no doubt camped around the town waiting for the slightest opportunity to capture and torture us!"

Yoruichi grinned at the expressions arrayed on her protégées faces. "Come now, children, Chad is already waiting by the stairs. I think he said something about a greasy burger."

There was a pause, as each of the teens remembered the joys of fast food, and in Orihime's case, caramel flavored ramen with red bean paste, mayonnaise and wasabi. The next moment, each of them (including Renji) made a strong effort to give Yoruichi's fastest shunpo a run for its money in their haste to make it to the exit.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo drew his fist back and sunk it solidly into Grimmjow's face, a satisfied smirk spreading across his features as he felt cartilage shift and bone break. The smirk disappeared when he felt his wrist almost snap from the impact.

"Frickin' hierro...." Ichigo cursed as Grimmjow brought his hands to his nose and twisted it viciously back into place.

"Again, with my bloody nose! What is your fucking fixation with it?" Grimmjow swore, this being the fourth time Ichigo had broken it.

The two of them were sparring alone now, Bard quitting after Grimmjow refused to stop tearing his arms off. The short Vasto Lorde was now watching Rukia spar with Nel alongside Tempest.

"It looks better that way!" Ichigo taunted, rubbing his sore wrist.

Grimmjow grinned recklessly at Ichigo. "It looks better, huh? Let's see how you look with a busted face then!" He charged towards the shinigami with a yell.

From the sidelines, Tempest watched the two fights, coming close to being amused by the way Ichigo continually broke Grimmjow's nose. Her thoughts were interrupted by Bard.

"She's a fighter, this one, isn't she?" Bard commented, observing as Rukia kept trying to pierce Nel's guard.

"What is your meaning?" Tempest barely moved her lips as she spoke.

"Look at her." Bard gestured. "She's using only her blade, which she obviously doesn't favour, she's restricted from Kido, doesn't have the build for Hakuda, and can't use any high speed movement in a fight like this, and yet she's still coming close to getting through Nel's guard."

"You are gaining respect for the shinigami then." Tempest observed quietly.

"They're not that much different from Nel and Grimmjow Jackass, from what we've seen of them, the woman especially. I could've mistaken her for an Arrancar when--"

A dark, heavy reiatsu descended on the cavern. There was a hollow roar, and Ichigo's head snapped towards the source.

Hollow Rukia stood straining against Nel in the centre of the room, snarling viciously at the green haired Arrancar. Her mouth was drawn back in a wicked grin, her face half covered by her mask.

She ran her tongue around her lips, as a white ribbon grew from the end of her zanpukutou, the blade shining brightly. Ice began to form around the feet of the two warrior women, and Nel sprang back to avoid the white moon.

"Bitch, what the hell--" Ichigo's furious shout was cut off by a harsh buzz of Sonido, as Tempest sped past him and Grimmjow, her fingers outstretched and razor sharp nails aiming for Hollow Rukia's mask.

Hollow Rukia leaned back ever so slightly, throwing Tempest's aim off. Her nails clawed five bloody trails across the Vaizard's face, gouging deeply above and below her unhidden eye. Hollow Rukia's grin widened further, as a white substance erupted from the wounds, covering them and stemming the blood flow. The lines spread out, until they met and covered Rukia's entire face, completing her hollow mask.

Ichigo stared in shock, not wanting to accept what was happening so soon. Rukia's mask had a similar shape to his own, with blue markings arrayed across it. The left eye was underlined in blue, and several snow flake tear drops were patterned beneath it. Two blue lines ran from the right side of the mask, one above and one below her right eye.

His shock lasted only moments, but to Ichigo it seemed a lifetime. The two Vasto Lorde and two Arrancar watched Hollow Rukia warily, not entirely sure what was going on. Ichigo snapped out of his stupor and began barking orders.

"Tempest, get back! Grimmjow, Bard, make sure there's nothing nearby that can come and interrupt us!" Ichigo took a deep breath as he called Zangetsu to him, the cleaver like blade flying through the air from its perch against the wall into his hand. "Nel....you're going in after me."

Ichigo charged towards the waiting Hollow, certain that Rukia was now fighting her inner battle for the right to rule. Hollow Rukia cackled viciously as she swung her blade, and Zangetsu met with Sode no Shirayuki in a titanic clash. Ichigo's eyes widened as he felt himself being matched, and then overpowered by Rukia's hollow form. He flew back, staring evenly at his opponent.

"Bankai."

Raw, dark, stifling power erupted from Ichigo's body, fueled by his desire to protect Rukia. He would give her time to win her inner battle, as he knew she would. The chain attached to his sword clinked gently, and then blurred out of sight as Ichigo dove back into the fight.

She would win her fight, because she was strong.

She would win her fight, because she had to.

She would win her fight because he believed in her.

**I may be being a whiny bitch, but it's really discouraging when you suddenly get a helluva lot less reviews for a chapter than you normally get.....which is what happened last chapter, so come on, press that enticing review button at the end of the chapter, and tell me what you thought. My writing style, chapter events, plot progression, whatever. I can't improve if I don't know what needs improving.**

**Go on, click on that shiny, cookie-dispensing review button. Go on. You know you want to.**

**I dare ya.**


	19. Her Inner World

**Great reception from readers to the last chapter, review-wise. And now I'm starting to write this the day after I posted the last one. See? Reviews DO make me write faster. It's the reviews I say, not the booze.**

**Anyway, for this chapter, I'd like to know what you think of the scene changes. I know Kubo loves giving you something juicy and tantalizing before switching scenes, so....I'm not going to be nearly as bad as him, cause it pisses me off. But still, tell me if it flows smoothly or it seems out of place, the way the focus changes from one perspective to another, seeing as they're gonna be so different. So look at the way I do that so you can tell me what you think about it....and again, all reviews are much appreciated. I eat and drink reviews, and also make them into cookies. How else do you think the review button gives you cookies? It's not magic you know.**

**I'm serious.**

**Oh, and I'd like to put out a shoutout for 'Change Me, Save Me', by Angela Kyuuchi The FAllen. Shaping up to be a good story, and could really use some more reviews. **

Inoue Orihime spun around under the morning sun, her hair spiraling out around her as she smiled. To an observer, it would have appeared that the teenage girl was bubbling with happiness, but in truth Inoue was only smiling because she was imagining how much fun it would be if Kurosaki-kun was here, holding her hand.

The group was walking along the footpath of a mildly busy street, taking their time in reaching their destination. Tatsuki was leaning against Renji somewhere behind the orange haired girl, while Chad and Ishida stood on either side of them. The four teens and one more-than-a-century-old spirit were making their way to the closest mall, taking the long way around so as to avoid passing the destroyed Urahara Shoten, that Yoruichi, Tessai and Urahara himself were currently sneaking into.

Coincidently, it was the same mall that Ichigo and Rukia had spent their last day at before the betrayal by the Central 46.

"Come on guys! Let's pick up the pace!" Tatsuki groaned. "At this rate, we won't get there until midday!"

Ishida twisted the heavy black ring on his finger that he had been shamed into wearing. "There should be a bus service nearby." He pushed his glasses up.

"...." Chad lifted an arm to point at the shelter that was located on the footpath further along the road, and Inoue immediately began skipping towards it. Chad shook his head. He didn't know where the girl found her energy.

The bus ride was uneventful, all five of them piling onto the bus and cramming into the slightly tattered bench seat at the back of the bus. Renji was busy gawking at the way the driver would change gears, while Tatsuki watched him with a grin. Inoue was the life of the group, pointing out anything unusual that they passed and making random conversation with any who would listen. Chad stared absently out the window, his mind on more serious matters—how to gain more power, how to stay true to his pact with Ichigo. The big man blinked and shifted his gaze to Ishida, who was watching as Inoue chattered with Tatsuki about something to do with gummy bears. The bespectacled teen didn't notice Chad's attention, and he wondered how the Quincy felt about Inoue's fixation with Ichigo.

Twenty minutes later, they all piled off the bus, Orihime pausing to thank the bus driver. The elderly man tipped his hat slightly, a twinkle in his eye as he watched the group of friends head into the mall with the intention of enjoying themselves thoroughly.

"Right. Votes on where we go first!" Tatsuki announced to the group, coming to a stop near a fountain in the centre of the mall.

Renji scratched his head, ignoring the curious glances that people passing by were giving them. "I say the arcade...." He had been told about the arcade by Rukia after the first time Ichigo took her there. "Why are we getting so many weird looks?"

Ishida replied as Inoue looked around with her mouth slightly open, as if trying to catch someone in the act of giving them a weird look. "It is a school day today. No doubt they are wondering why there are four school age teenagers in a mall--"

"Four?" Renji interjected.

"--in a mall talking with a red haired, tattooed, criminal delinquent." Ishida finished, smirking at the now angry Renji.

Renji opened his mouth to reply, but was surprisingly cut off by Chad. "Arcade." He stated in his deep bass voice. Everyone was used to him being a man of few words.

"Let's go to the arcade!" Inoue bounced enthusiastically, drawing the attention of several passing males. Her mind was elsewhere though, and missed the glances in her direction. All she could think of was that she could feel hints of Kurosaki-kun's presence, as well as Kuchiki-san's.

Ishida nodded curtly. "The arcade it is then."

**XXX**

"Take that Quincy!!"

Ishida's nose crinkled up in disgust as Tatsuki pumped her fist up into the air, having crossed the finish line seconds before him. He shook his head and loftily chose not to reply, easing his way out of the racing simulator before his pride was wounded further. His gaze wandered around the arcade, seeking out his friends. Chad and Renji were in the process of finishing up a closely contested game of pool, while Orihime was nearby playing Whack-a-Mole.

Chad was on his knees beside the pool table, lining up the eight ball. His height made it too difficult to stand and lean down to take his shots, so he resorted to his knees. Chad tapped the white ball gently with his cue, causing it to knock the side of the black eight ball. Renji grimaced as the final ball rolled smoothly into the corner pocket.

"Better luck next time hun." Tatsuki poked Renji in the side. "Come on, let's play the zombie shooting game."

Renji brightened. "Zombie shooting game?"

Tatsuki led Renji over to a game surrounded by curtains, drawing them back and heading inside. Ishida caught a glimpse of the words _House of the Dead_ scrawled across the screen before Renji pulled the curtains shut behind them. Ishida wandered over to Orihime, who had her tongue stuck out to the side in concentration at her game. She was still playing Whack-a-Mole, and was doing surprisingly good at it. A slew of tickets were winding out of the dispenser beside her as she brought down divine fury in the form of a pink cudgel upon the heads of the poor, unsuspecting Moles.

Chad fed a note into the pool table paying slot, and began to re-stack the balls when they were released back onto the table. A guy who had been watching his previous game approached him.

"Game?" It was a mono-syllabic request, without any emotion whatsoever.

"Sure." Chad's reply topped it.

**XXX**

Almost exactly an hour later, Inoue finally tired of Whack-a-Mole. Numerous thick wads of tickets were awaiting her, Ishida having collected and folded them as they issued from the game. Inoue smiled gratefully as he handed her tickets to her, placing them in a pocket on her light orange dress, a white short sleeve top completing her outfit. She skipped past the pool tables, where Chad was still playing the mono-syllabic stranger, and up to the curtain that hid Tatsuki and Renji as they played _House of the Dead_.

Inoue paused outside the curtained game, waiting for her friends to finish. It sounded like they were. She leaned in slightly closer so as to hear what they were discussing.

"...can't _believe_ we didn't get the best score...." Renji was grumbling.

"Come on, second isn't that bad!" Tatsuki exclaimed. There was a noise that sounded suspiciously like a hand connecting with the back of someone's head. "Aww, that's cute."

"What's cute?" Renji questioned.

"Whoever got first must be a couple. They put the word _forever_ at the end of their name."

Inoue was suddenly struck with uneasiness. There was no real reason to feel such anxiety, but it was there, bubbling up in her stomach nonetheless.

"What name did they put?" Renji asked, his voice carrying out to Inoue.

"_Deathberry_. _Deathberry Forever_."

Inoue was stricken. She knew with certainty, a certainty that sprung from the depths of her soul that it was Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san who had put those words there. She wanted nothing more than to deny it, nothing more than to proclaim her belief that it couldn't be true for all the world to hear. She couldn't explain how, but she knew by the pit forming in her heart that it was her Kurosaki-kun who put it there. The cheerful smile that had been evident on her face minutes before was gone now, replaced by a pain filled expression.

"Inoue-san, are you alright?"

Inoue jumped as she heard Ishida speak up behind her. She hadn't even realized he had followed her, not registering his presence the entire time he stood behind her while she listened to her friends conversation. She plastered her cheerful smile back onto her face, and turned to face her pale friend.

"Of course, Ishida-kun! Just waiting for Tatsuki-chan to finish her game!" It was a cheerful response, not at all in sync with the depressed aura hovering about her moments before.

Renji chose that moment to pull the curtains back from around the game, revealing the words _Deathberry Forever_ on the screen and compounding the inner turmoil Inoue was feeling.

_You have no proof. _Inoue told herself fervently. _It could have been anyone_._ Kurosaki-kun would never care for Kuchiki-san in that way._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia's Hollow form roared, contained by the fury that was Ichigo's Bankai. The progression of her hollow form had stopped with her mask, but Ichigo was sure that it would resume if he was to cut her.

Seven minutes had passed, and Ichigo was sporting numerous cuts and scratches inflicted by the gleaming white blade in Hollow Rukia's hands. It had been released without any verbal command, and Ichigo was certain that Rukia had released her blade in her inner battle at that same moment.

Hollow Rukia charged forward, the white cloth attached to her sword whipping around her like a dancer's ribbon, a dancer's ribbon attached to a sword hungry for his blood. Ichigo blocked the overhanded blow cleanly, as he had every time Hollow Rukia had attacked. He replied in turn, sending a surge of strength down his blade and forcing her back. Breathing heavily, Ichigo waited for the Hollow of his soul partner to resume its attack.

Nel watched from the cavern entrance with Tempest at her side, observing Hollow Rukia's moves with narrowed eyes. She appeared to be a creature of pure instinct, completely different from the one she had encountered days before. This Hollow was a base fighter, consumed with the desire to crush her enemies. The green haired Arrancar watched the way Hollow Rukia swung her blade—heavy, overhanded blows that were unsuited for someone of her stature. Ichigo was lucky that Hollow Rukia wasn't fighting with the intelligence of Rukia, slicing apart his defense with her hollow strength, otherwise he would be forced to use his mask.

A frown appeared on Nel's face. If Ichigo needed his Bankai and mask to contain Rukia while she used only her Shikai and mask, she would be a fearsome opponent when she gained Bankai. In raw power she was lacking, but her mastery of Kido and possession of a mask would make her just as dangerous, if not more so, than Ichigo. An opponent with raw power as great as Ichigo was a frightening thing, but add in Rukia's intelligence and skill in Kido.....

Opponents that could overcome Ichigo due to their cunning and deviousness would have no chance against Rukia, just as opponents that could smother Rukia with power would be slaughtered by Ichigo.

As a team, they would be a most daunting opponent to face.

"It is....interesting." Tempest's voice drew Nel's attention away from her observations.

"Interesting?" Nel replied, without taking her eyes off the unfolding battle.

"The expression on the boy's face. I have taken note of it before, but never to this degree." The Vasto Lorde's voice was emotionless as always on the surface, but Nel could detect an undercurrent of something more.

Nel followed Tempest's own orange eyes to Ichigo's face. There was a resolute expression there, certainly, but it was almost indecipherable. It was a mix of emotions, Nel decided. Love was there, on the fringes, as well as respect and varied forms of the two, but they were not at the forefront. Above all, there was a raging desire to protect, a desire to protect the woman who held his heart from all threats, including herself.

"How so?" Nel had made her own observations, but now she wanted to know what the green skinned Tempest thought.

"That boy—no, that man would give his everything for that woman." Tempest's voice now held a hint of surprise, a monumental show of emotion for her. "If he thought it would help her win this fight, he would impale himself on his own sword."

Nel looked back at Ichigo sharply. She had not read that far into him, but she could see it was true. The two shared a bond that went further than just being nakama, just friends, just lovers. They were entwined in spirit and soul, their closeness now compounded by another shared experience in their acquirement of an inner hollow.

Grimmjow nudged Bard in the side. "Looks like the women are discussing something serious." He snorted.

The two of them were perched on the edge of the hole in the roof of the cavern, Grimmjow crouching on the edge while Bard sat with his legs dangling over the edge.

Bard turned to glare at him. "You say it like it's a crime."

Grimmjow raised his arms in defense. "We're about to get a chance to fight someone good, what's got them being so serious is all I'm saying." He paused, slightly unnerved by Bard's stare. "And stop fucking glaring at me."

"I'm not glaring, I don't have any fucking eyelids."

"Che. Whatever. I'm just looking forward to my turn to fight the little shinigami's inner hollow."

"Don't underestimate her." Bard warned. "You said you've fought her before, but it looks like she's gotten a hell of a lot stronger since then, from the way you told it."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow, and gave him a disbelieving look.

"You can't grow back your limbs, Grimmjow. When you fight her, don't screw around."

Grimmjow waved the black Vasto Lorde off. "Don't worry about me. I can hold my own. You should be worried about yourself, if you think I'm gonna have troubles."

Bard continued to glare at the blue haired Arrancar. "Perhaps, but I, unlike you, can afford to have my extremities off."

"Any extremity?" Grimmjow cackled.

Bard almost managed to blush. Almost.

Thirteen minutes had passed, and Ichigo had tired considerably. He was absorbed in the fight, his mind bent on defending Hollow Rukia's powerful attacks. Ichigo dodged another vicious flurry of blows and flipped back, bouncing off his hand before landing on his feet and pressing the attack. He couldn't stay in the fight much longer, not when he could do nothing but defend. As much as it pained him to admit it, he needed to rest. He needed someone to step in and he made a mistake that would cause pain to both him and Rukia.

"_Getsuga Tenshou_."

The words were whispered, and a crescent of black energy sprung from his blade. Hollow Rukia twisted to avoid it, barely managing to avoid a direct hit. The attack caught her left arm, carving a swathe along the limb that was followed almost immediately by a white substance boiling up from beneath her skin. The attack threw Hollow Rukia into a wall, and Ichigo took that moment to disengage.

"Nel, you're up." Ichigo forced the words out. "Try not to injure her. It only speeds the Hollowfication of her body up."

A concerned expression flitted across Nel's face. "Will it harm her afterwards if her body changes?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, it will just make her more of a bitch to fight. And give her more access to her Hollow powers."

An enraged shriek cut off further conversation, and Nel stepped forward to meet her foe. She drew her blade from it's sheath at her hip, thrust through a loop of material attached to her pants. Ichigo's attack had caused Hollow Rukia's entire left arm to change, her hand now resembling a heavy, elongated paw, with vicious looking claws protruding from the dexterous digits. Different shades of white gave her arm a textured effect, causing it to look like it was covered in short fur.

"Neliel Tu Oderschvank." Nel introduced herself. "I will be entertaining you this evening." She added impishly.

Hollow Rukia's only reply was to give another roar, and fly towards her new opponent with evil intent reflected in her glimmering yellow eyes.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ishida watched from their table as Inoue chatted with Tatsuki, the two girls standing in line at the food court. A change had come over the buxom girl during their time at the arcade, her content demeanor changing into a mere facade. The Quincy had overheard part of the conversation Inoue had been listening to, but only enough to make out the words _Deathberry_. He was puzzled as to what it could mean, and why it had triggered such a change in attitude from Orihime.

"Close your jaw up man, or you'll end up a birds nest."

Ishida's hand flew to his jaw, only to find that it was firmly closed. He glared at Renji as the redhead enjoyed a laugh at his expense. He loftily deigned to ignore his tormentor, only to have him speak up again.

"You do know things will go faster if you let her know you're interested." Renji told him seriously, his amusement from a moment before overcome.

Ishida made no reply, and Renji was about to leave him alone, before he spoke up. "In this situation, it is not quite so simple."

Renji pulled out a chair beside him, taking a seat. "Do tell." Usually he wasn't the talkative type, but he figured Ishida wasn't the type to overload their issues on someone. Plus, he was bored.

"She harbors an infatuation for Kurosaki, despite his obvious fixation with Kuchiki-san." Ishida said shortly.

Renji blinked. "Are you serious? I thought that kiss she forced on Ichigo was just her being crazy."

Ishida speared him with a glare.

"She seriously doesn't know they're in a relationship." It wasn't a question.

Ishida sighed. "No, she refused to accept that Kurosaki will be with anyone but her, and so subconsciously ignored any evidence to the contrary."

Renji blinked again.

"At least, that is what I believe." Ishida concluded.

"So....tell her that Ichigo and Rukia are together?" Renji suggested, stretching his legs out under the table.

"And be the one to ruin her aspirations? No thank you. I think it would be healthier for her to realize this on her own."

"Meaning you want to be the one comforting her, not the one bringing bad news." Renji gave him a reckless grin.

Ishida adjusted his glasses, and returned to loftily ignoring the tattooed lout seated beside him. Renji chuckled throatily as he watched his girlfriend make her way to their table, Inoue and Chad following behind her with more food. He grinned a greeting to his dark haired girlfriend as she approached, stealing a seat on his lap.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo jumped and had to force himself not to charge in, as Nel kicked Hollow Rukia forcefully in the chest, sending her flying into the cavern wall yet again. Hollow Rukia was on her feet before the dust had cleared, speeding towards Nel to retaliate. There were numerous shallow cuts over her back and side that were scabbing over with white hollow skin, resulted from the glass wall of the cavern that had shattered upon impact with her body.

Nel had been Hollow Rukia's opponent for nine minutes now, and her body bore the signs of it. Small cuts and scratches covered her bare skin, and her custom green shorts and top were no longer clean and comfortable looking, now nicked lightly and torn in some places.

The state of Rukia's body had deteriorated further. Both arms were now fully hollowfied, two dexterous paws wielding vicious claws replacing her hands, as well as a portion of her stomach that had suffered a glancing blow from Nel's blade. Her left leg was slowly being choked by white armour, armour covered with intricate blue designs, although her foot was still clear.

Nel blocked another powerful two handed blow, kicking Hollow Rukia in retaliation. Her foot connected with a sickening crunch, clearly breaking several ribs. Rukia's body flew back, only to come to a stop as she twisted around, aiming her hand clearly at the cavern wall. A flurry of ice and snow was being emitted from her clawed hand, preventing her from crashing into the glassy wall. Her other hand was aimed at the ground, maintaining her balance even as she gripped her zanpukutou. The currents of icy wind cut off abruptly, and then Hollow Rukia was on the attack again, her ferocity forcing numerous bala's out of Nel in an effort to slow her down.

"Is that an aspect of her normal power?"

Ichigo jumped at the sound of Tempest's voice beside him. "No....no, it's not." He replied slowly.

"A new power, a hollow power." Tempest clarified.

Ichigo shifted his gaze to the Vasto Lorde, looking her in her orange eyes. "I think so. When I went through this, the people who fought me said that I used a strange power during our fight too. I haven't been able to use it since, so it might be like an individual hollow ability that we can master."

After his short explanation, Ichigo went back to watching the fight, and Tempest made no move to engage him further. She had gained a new understanding of the curious man, an understanding that would help her in the future, even if she didn't know it now.

Ichigo's gaze remained fixed on Rukia as Nel finally bowed out at twelve minutes, covered with small wounds and injuries. He watched as Grimmjow entered the fight, cackling madly, before being surprised by the strength that Hollow Rukia was displaying. He would watch over her until she won, and then, and only then, would he allow himself to feel relief and allow his concern to show.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia opened her eyes slowly. She could feel that she was within her inner world, normally a place that she could retreat to when she sought peace and calm. But now she was wary to opening her eyes, lest they reveal a horror now that her hollow resided here.

In times past, Rukia would arrive at the glassy lake that was the centre of her inner world, a serene lake surrounded by all manner of trees and occupied by her mentor and guide, Sode no Shirayuki. But now, as she opened her eyes slowly, she realized she was outside the trees, standing beside what she knew to be a frozen stream, a stream that could be mistaken for a sculpted path if it were not for the flowing water clearly visible beneath the solid surface.

Looking up, Rukia could see none of the usual creatures that inhabited her inner world, increasing her anxiety. Her hand found the reassuring weight of Shirayuki at her hip, taking comfort from it. She could see the cliff face rising over the trees that surrounded her lake to the south, the stream circling around the copse before disappearing somewhere beneath the sheer rock.

To the north, there was a great frozen savanna, interspersed with tough brown grass that somehow managed to survive the harsh cold and unforgiving environment. Turning her back on the great open spaces that she had wandered at Shirayuki's side, learning all the while, Rukia made her way towards the crystalline trees that were fragile in appearance, but in truth made up her most inner defenses, the last barrier with which she protected herself.

Upon reaching the supposed safety of the protective ring of trees, Rukia was overcome by a sudden uneasiness. The trees were quiet, and rustling with none of their usual welcome. The petite shinigami made her way through the maze of spruce, maple, oak, evergreen, fir, elm and birch, their branches grabbing at her shihakusho, holding her back. A whisper of wind flew through, stirring the branches once before they fell silent once more.

Rukia turned in the direction of the breeze, cautious of this new development. The trees guarding her sanctum had always been a world of their own, a peaceful faerie land, undisturbed by outside influences. Making her way towards the now-gone breeze, Rukia encountered another, then another.

What she discovered stopped her cold.

She was confronted by a view of the great open savanna that was part of her inner world, but that was not what gave her pause.

No, what gave her pause was the vast tract of devastated land that should have been a lush and vibrant forest. A vicious swathe of destruction had been carved through the protective ring of trees, small patches of ice clinging to shattered stumps and twisted branches. The very trees mourned the loss of life and innocence.

Rukia's resolve hardened as she walked amongst the tattered landscape, her visage becoming bleak. Her attention was drawn to the lake behind her by a malicious giggle, icy fingers crawling down her spine. Rukia drew Sode no Shirayuki with a steely rasp and strode in the direction of the disturbing mirth with a purpose.

Stalking towards the serene, glassy lake that was the centre of her inner world, Rukia's resolve grew with every sapling torn asunder that she passed, every crippled spruce, each violated defense.

When she reached her lake, Rukia was expecting to see the clear, starry skies reflected peacefully within the calm, mirror-like depths. Instead, she was confronted by a broken mirror , whirlpools twisting and churning across it's surface.

Rukia crossed the thirty meter gap between the forest edge and the shore of the lake. A haunting giggle once again echoed around her inner world. Rukia tore her gaze from the disturbed surface of her lake, focusing on the lone tree that stood in the edge of the water, the only marring to it's usual pristine surface.

A creature that could only be described as twisted stood on the lone tree's dead branches, her white shihakusho fluttering in the wind. One foot was placed daintily in the bird's nest that adorned one of its grey branches, stepping savagely on whatever was inside. The _thing's_ face was a mocking reflection of Rukia's own, cruelty and deviousness etched into every feature.

Withdrawing her foot from the nest of twigs and grass, Hollow Rukia giggled again, gradually building up into a cackle full of madness. Rukia's doppleganger arced gracefully as she fell back, plunging into the rippling depths of the lake like a knife.

A few bubbles rose to the surface, gradually growing closer to where Rukia stood, like a predator stalking its prey from beneath the surface. Rukia watched cautiously, her blade held before her.

Seconds passed, then a minute. Just as Rukia was considering entering the waters herself, a fresh whirlpool formed, and Hollow Rukia rose up like a conquering Queen of the Underworld, the water frothing at her feet, her head bowed.

Slowly, the Hollow raised her head to reveal a wicked grin, meeting Rukia's violet eyes with harsh yellow.

"**It's good to see you....Queen.**"


	20. Her Inner Battle

**Greetings to the teeming multitudes who read my fiction. I would pose a question to ye, one and all. **

***cough***

**Do you guys think I should name the new inner hollow, or just keep referring to them as 'Hollow Rukia', or Hollow Tatsuki/Renji? If I do name them, they'll be named for demons/bad guys, like Lilith, Jezebel, Azael, Alastair, etc. Don't worry, Shirosaki will be keeping his 'Hichigo' moniker, the only new ones would be Rukia, Renji, Tatsuki's. So tell me what you think. **

**To change, or not to change?**

**Oh, and the starry sky in Rukia's inner world? If you've seen the Halo 3 trailer "I Want To Believe", it's just like that.**

**Huge thanks to reviewers so far. The anonymous reviewer "csw" is particularly appreciated. Cheers for ya kind words and encouragement. Also, huge thanks to Arcadia Silver for her beta efforts, brain storming and encouragement. I shudder to think of the state of this story without her input.**

**Thanks also to the people who've been there reviewing so far: SeraphinaDonna, TAKCH1, Dark Jason, Infinite Freedom, Angela Kyuuchi The FAllen, Space Odin, speaker4thesilent, Eradona, KuroiTsuki7, Semigall, KarinJ, , Theo3983, darkheart1992, Engelmohr2004, Dancing Buffy, king of jack and everyone else I'm too lazy to trawl through the reviews for....**

**And now, on with the chapter that will crack the 100 000 word barrier!! Woot!**

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"**It's good to see you…Queen.**"

Rukia's grip tightened around her zanpukutou at the greeting of her inner hollow. She eyed the being cautiously, ready for any sign of trickery. Hollow Rukia watched her with an amused eye.

"**What? Not happy to see me?**" She taunted mockingly.

Rukia ignored her hollow, glancing around the once-serene boundary of her lake, hoping to catch a glimpse of Shirayuki. As she did, Hollow Rukia began to pace across the disturbed surface of the water, her footsteps emitting small ripples as she walked.

"**Looking for someone?**" Hollow Rukia probed.

Rukia met her hollow's yellow eyes with her own violet, addressing her directly for the first time. "Where is Shirayuki?"

Hollow Rukia giggled, the high pitched sound echoing around the lake. A breeze tore around the two, entering through the swathe of destruction that Hollow Rukia had carved through the protective glade to reach the lake. "**Which Shirayuki?**" She challenged. "**The one in your hands or the one in mine?**"

At this, Hollow Rukia drew her sealed blade, running her tongue along its edge. Droplets of blood ran along its length, and the hollow seemed to relish the pain.

Rukia drew her own blade, seeking comfort from it. "I'll ask again. Where is Shirayuki?" Her tone was resolute.

"**You still don't get it?**" Hollow Rukia's voice was quite, yet filled with malice. Then she shrieked. "**I'M SHIRAYUKI!**"

Hollow Rukia leaped up from the surface of the churning waters, flying at Rukia with a feral gleam in her eyes. Their blades met with a harsh clang, the sound reverberating throughout the otherwise quiet area. Rukia met her hollow's strength with her own, and as one they chanted.

"_Mae, Sode no Shirayuki!_"

The release kicked up a flurry of snow and ice from the ground around them, setting it whirling about their locked figures. Rukia watched as the blade in Hollow Rukia's hands morphed and blackened, becoming a twisted and inversed of her own. The black and white ribbons of their zanpukutou twirled and twined about each other like a pair of spitting cats, in contrast to the grinding of their blades against each other.

They sprang apart, and Hollow Rukia eyed Rukia's white blade with disgust. "**You've fooled them all into thinking you're so pure. So beautiful. So perfect. But I know the truth!**"

The words struck an ugly chord within Rukia, and she charged out onto the lake surface to engage her hollow once more. A flurry of blows, and as they put distance between themselves once again, blood fell to the water of the lake.

Rukia maintained her hold on Shirayuki, ignoring the stinging pain of the long, shallow slash running from her shoulder to elbow.

Hollow Rukia stood casually, wiping her hand across her cheek and leaving a bloody smear across it, red liquid spilling from the cut to her face. In a vicious voice, she continued her condemnation. "**But I know the truth. This black blade is far better suited to your soul than your oh-so-pure white, just as your body is far better suited to me!**"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia blinked, finding herself in an unfamiliar place. It was dark, and her body was being shaken up and down in a peculiar motion. Realizing the cause of the darkness, Rukia opened her eyes to a familiar sight.

"Renji?" She questioned. Looking down, Rukia realized he was carrying her, and that she was clad in the white yukuta that she had worn to her execution. "Protected again…" She mumbled, slumping into Renji.

"You shouldn't be so stubborn, ya know."

Rukia looked up in surprise at Renji's words. This must not be a memory, she decided. When Renji had carried her down the stairs running along the sheer cliff face away from the destroyed Soukyoku, their conversation had followed a different path.

"Yeah, you're here to listen, but since when have you ever been good at that?" Renji chuckled, then winced as Rukia used her position to drive her elbow into his chest.

"Ouch." He said it in a way that indicated it hadn't hurt at all.

"What's going on? Why are you taking me away from the Soukyoku again?"

"You mean, why are you being protected again?" Renji corrected.

"Hmph." Rukia looked away.

Renji sighed. "So stubborn. We don't do this cause we need to, we do it cause we wanna."

"We?" Rukia frowned.

Renji ignored her and continued on. "Just remember, you have strength of your own, Rukia. It's enough to get you through."

Before Rukia had a chance to reply, Renji tripped, sending her flying from his arms. She closed her eyes and tensed, rolling into a ball to lessen the damage caused upon impact.

**XXX**

Only to land upright on her feet. Rukia opened her eyes to find herself on a deserted street lit by several street lamps. The moon was full, lighting up the scene with a pale luminescence.

"Stupid shinigami."

Rukia whirled, finding her zanpukutou in her hands. Standing before her was the Arrancar Sixteen, D-Roy.

"And here you thought you beat me." D-Roy mocked, his visible eye shining darkly. "You don't have the strength to beat me!"

Laughing madly, D-Roy lunged towards Rukia, his hand stabbing at her heart. Rukia blocked him cleanly, her eyes widening at the force behind the blow. She braced her zanpukutou with her arm, trying to disengage. D-Roy leaned in as his hand pushed at her blade, his strength increasing as he spoke.

"You'll never have enough strength to get through the struggles ahead." D-Roy smirked at the expression on his opponents face. "You will always be protected," he sneered.

Rukia's eyes narrowed, filling with deadly intent. "Not enough strength?" She ground out, feeling as the pressure on her blade was reduced.

Strength flowed through her veins, and she intoned the fatal words. "_Some no mae…Tsukishiro!_"

The ice erupted from the ground without pause, consuming D-Roy before he had a chance to leap into the sky as he had during their first and only encounter. Rukia watched impassively as it cracked and shattered, splintering her foe into countless fragments.

"Not strong enough?" she said to herself. "I don't think so."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia blinked, and found her vision filled by the sigh of Hollow Rukia's bloodied face flying towards her. Rukia fell back swiftly, allowing Hollow Rukia to pass over her, before regaining her stance.

"**Focus, Queen. I don't want you zoning out on me and then claiming you let me win after I throw you down.**" Hollow Rukia leered at her.

"I don't zone out." Rukia answered, beginning to stalk across the water to her foes weak side.

"**Fooled me.**" Hollow Rukia began to mirror her movements. "**You'd better not have been thinking of your man,**" she warned.

"So what if I was?" Rukia taunted. "Jealous that I get to have him whenever I want?"

Hollow Rukia snarled, darting forward with a burst of sonido as she swung her inverted Shirayuki. Again, Rukia avoided decapitation by an inch as she ducked under the black blade.

"_Some no mae—_"

Hollow Rukia darted back, out of range of Rukia's attack. She stared malevolently at her Queen, before an insidious thought came to her.

"**Jealous?**" The hollow smirked. "**Why would I be, when I'm going to be able to use him however I wish? My own personal fuck toy, and you'll be forced to watch.**"

Rukia's reply was sharp—very sharp. Flash stepping to her foe's side, she cut once and a lock of white hair fell to the ground, accompanied by another splatter of blood, black in the moonlight.

Hollow Rukia's furious glare had no effect on Rukia, who stood calmly twenty meters away. Rukia observed her hollow's face, now mutilated on both sides, as the being opened its foul mouth to taunt her once more.

"**Struck a nerve, did I? Why is that, I wonder? Scared he'll like it too?**"

Rukia blocked herself off to the mocking off her hollow, staring her straight in the eye. "The only thing to fear in such an event is that you'll fail to get him up and running." She commented dryly, enjoying the anger that shone through her opponent's eyes.

With a screech, Hollow Rukia launched herself at Rukia once again.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia found herself kneeling in the dirt, an orange sunset cast around her. There was a strange object around her neck, and she found herself clad in a white yukuta.

"Rukia…" It was a whisper. "Are you there?"

"Nii-sama?" Rukia's eyes widened. She was back on the Soukyoku Hill, after the defection of Aizen and his accomplices.

"There is something I want to tell you."

The scene was horrifyingly familiar—her brother laid out and bleeding on the ground, Ichigo barely conscious and being tended to by Orihime.

Rukia nodded slowly, following the memory. "Yes," she replied softly, "fifty years ago."

"No." Byakuya contradicted her, his voice still holding strength despite his wounded state. "Forty years ago…and continuing on until this very day."

"Nii-sama?" Rukia questioned, unsure of where this was going.

"You've been a member of the Gotei 13 for close to forty years, Rukia." It was a statement, not a question.

Rukia nodded silently, and Byakuya continued his tale.

"And for close to forty years, I've been holding you back, quelling any chance or suggestion of promotion."

Rukia felt her face harden, and had no doubt it was shown in her expression.

"I let my promise to Hisana cloud my judgment, Rukia. She asked me to protect, not coddle."

Byakuya inhaled deeply, his breathing labored. "I didn't need to slow your promotions in order to protect you, Rukia. You are perfectly capable of doing so yourself."

Rukia's eyes widened at this admission. Acknowledgment by her brother had been her driving force during her earlier years, and still was to a certain extent. Hearing him admit that, even if it was in her own mind, gave her a surge of confidence like little she had seen before.

Rukia closed her eyes and bowed from her kneeling position. "Thank you, Nii-sama."

There was no reply, and a feeling of coldness replaced the warmth cast by the afternoon sun. An insane giggle pierced the night air, and Rukia's eyes snapped open. She was in a dark, familiar house; a house she knew was next to Ichigo's human home. The insane giggle sounded again, seeking to unnerve her—but it was nothing compared to the shrieking laughter of her inner hollow.

Rukia got to her feet, padding silently over to a sliding door. She opened it to a decent sized yard and was confronted by an enemy long since vanquished.

Douko Jinnai cackled maddeningly as he bit into his bakkoutou, drawing strength to it. Without warning, the spike covered man launched himself towards her, a flurry of blades preceding him.

"Hadou Sanjuusan, Soukatsui!"

A wave of blue fire basted towards the flying blades as Rukia dodged to avoid Jinnai's attack. His sickle like blade plunged into the earth where Rukia had been. He grinned as he caught sight of Rukia's prepared stance and steady blade.

"Another meeting with Seireitei's most beautiful zanpukutou! Man, what a privilege!" Jinnai mocked, before breaking out into another raucous cackle. "There's no one here to help you this time girly. This time you're on your own!"

"Who says I need another's help to defeat my enemies?" she challenged. "A lowly mercenary like you does not deserve the honor of dying by a Kuchiki blade in the first place." _Great, now I'm channeling Nii-sama._

"Your own actions say you need help to kill the other guy! You couldn't even kill me without help from the flower-faggot! You couldn't save your precious Ichigo; he had to be saved by Urahara! You couldn't escape from the Soukyoku on your own; you had to be _carried_ by Renji!" He cackled again. "You can't beat me on your own! You barely did it last time!"

Jinnai threw his blade at Rukia, pulling it back by its chain for another pass after she dodged it. Again and again he pursued her around the yard, keeping her at a distance as he taunted her about her failings.

_I need no help with an opponent such as this._ _I need no protecting. _

Fed up with fleeing, Rukia stood her ground, surprising Jinnai as she met his thrown blade with her own. Shivers ran visibly down his spine as she smiled coldly, a smile that exuded no warmth and promised an icy grave.

Jinnai stared in shock as ice began to run along his blade and onto the chain; racing down its length where it made contact with his arm. His limb began to freeze over, and from there it traveled to the rest of his body.

Rukia approached him, sheathing her zanpukutou as she did. "Just because it is the most beautiful, doesn't mean you can ignore the strength we possess." She stared him down.

Rukia bitch slapped her foe, taking pleasure in the way his body shattered with the blow. The cracking of his body spread to the ground beneath him, and soon the entire scene was disappearing.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia dodged at the last second, darting away from the blow that would've cut her in two. Her shoulder dragged through the water and came up dripping.

"**Zoning out again? That won't win you the battle!**"

Rukia scowled and made to reply, but was caught off guard when Hollow Rukia flashed towards her, zanpukutou aimed low. Rukia jumped over the attack, tucking her legs up, swinging her own blade down as she did so. Her sight was obscured by a fluttering black cloth, the ribbon from Hollow Rukia's sword getting in her eyes.

Instinctively, Rukia flash stepped out of range, barely avoiding disembowelment. Hollow Rukia's blade still made contact, tearing a large gash in her stomach as it did so. Rukia's face whitened in pain as Hollow Rukia looked on and laughed.

"**You might've marked my face, but you're the one who's cut the deepest!**" She cackled.

Rukia ignored the pain, focusing on her opponent. The way she stood, the way she held her blade, the way her yellow eyes glinted under the moonlight. The way the corners of her mouth raised in a snarl just before an attack…

Rukia met the attack with one of her own, pushing against her hollow's strength. They met each other evenly, each straining against the other. Hollow Rukia smirked, her blade seeming to glow with an unholy sheen. The smirk disappeared when Rukia removed one hand from the hilt of her blade, instead pointing it square at Hollow Rukia's face.

"Hadou Sanjuuichi, Shakkahou!"

The ball of red flame blasted into the side of Hollow Rukia's face, blasting her back. She flew off the lake's surface, colliding bodily with a tree; she slid to the ground and clasped her free hand to her face. Rukia could smell burnt meat in the air.

Hollow Rukia rose slowly, apocalyptic rage clear on her face. There was an ugly burn spread across her left cheek already weeping pus. The burn started at the corner of her mouth and stretched all the way to her ear. When she spoke, Hollow Rukia's words were quiet and filled with malice.

"**We are warriors. Warrior Queens.**" Hollow Rukia's words took Rukia aback. They were not what she was expecting. "**Do you know what separates the Queen and the beast she rides, be it wolf, lioness or horse? It's not breeding, or manners or clothing...it is the CROWN!! She who holds the crown is Queen!**"

Rukia remained wary, unsure of where this was going as Hollow Rukia continued.

"**To reign! To rule! Subjugating all before you, making the proud and powerful bow before you. Securing your sovereignty by any means necessary. Killing and conquering! Claim whats yours and claiming whats their's too! This is what it means to wear the crown, shinigami! And only a queen who rules absolutely truly reigns! Claim the mate, claim the pack, claim the territory and crush all resistance! Know what it takes to rule as Queen?**" Hollow Rukia screamed her question, lips spread wide in her mania.

Rukia was silent as the black ribbon billowed about the hollow in her soul.

Hollow Rukia drew a deep breath; ignoring the pain from the burn on her face. "**WILLPOWER!!**"

Rukia tensed, she could feel an attack coming soon. "**When two Queens fight, the one with the most faith in her abilities, the one with the most **_**willpower**_** will triumph! The one who wants to win the most will rip her opponent apart!**"

Hollow Rukia balanced her zanpukutou on her arm, aiming its tip at Rukia. "**You don't know what it is like to be imprisoned in a world like this. You don't know how far I'm willing to go to get out!**"

A dark reiatsu began to gather around Hollow Rukia, whipping at the trees behind her. Rukia planted her stance firmly on the churning waters of the lake as she faced her Hollow on the shore, preparing for the inevitable attack.

"**You are weak.**"

The words came from behind her shoulder, and Rukia began to turn, as all seemed to be in slow motion. She saw Hollow Rukia's smirking face, grinning as she chanted.

"_**Tsugi no mae, Hakuren!**_"

Rukia was hit in the back by the explosion of ice and felt herself catapulted towards the trees, before all was dark.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia came to surrounded by trees, but of a different kind than those belonging to her inner world. She sat up, taking in her surroundings.

_Oh God. Not here. Anywhere but here._

These were the woods where she had taken a life. The woods of that night. The woods where she had killed Kaien-dono.

"Why the long face Kuchiki?"

Rukia gasped, her hand going to the blade at her side. She surged to her feet and spun, coming face to face with her first mentor. She was instantly distrusting. She had learned not to blithely accept anything that wore that face.

Kaien held his hands up in mock surrender. "Easy there. It's me, not that whathisname Rufflecar***** Aaroniero."

When Rukia looked unconvinced, Kaien sighed. "You freed me from him already, remember? Big fat sword release, ice blade through his tank-head?" He reached forward and ruffled her hair. "After you freed me, Byakuya and that Yamada guy came and helped you. Right?"

"Kaien-dono?" Rukia lowered her blade slightly.

"Yep!" Kaien gave her a thumbs up. "Now let's have something to drink."

Rukia blinked as Kaien pulled a picnic rug and basket out from behind his back, setting them down on the ground. "Well?" He asked.

Rukia blinked again. And again. Before she had a chance to respond, Kaien swept her legs out from under her and watched as she fell onto the picnic rug. "Tea?" He offered.

Rukia gathered herself up into a kneeling position before nodding gracefully, in full Kuchiki poise. "Please."

Kaien whacked her over the head a loaf of bread. "It's not 'please', it's 'yes, thank you Kaien, you amazing fukutaicho you'!"

"Uh, yes thank you..." Rukia replied, still somewhat taken aback by his behaviour.

"And?" he prompted.

Rukia narrowed her eyes. "You'll become Soutaicho before I say that." she threatened.

Kaien chuckled at her reaction. "Wishful thinking I guess." He handed her the tea, watching as she sipped at it. Once she did, he sat back, looking satisfied. "Now, we've got a few things to talk about here, miss." He wagged a finger at her. "When you fought Aaroniero, it took you far too long to realize something very important."

Rukia hung her head in shame. She was battered and bruised by the time she remembered the most important thing Kaien had left her.

"That's right." He lectured her. "You let your guilt get in the way of things. If I held you responsible for my death, do you think I would've left my heart to you?" Kaien demanded.

Wordlessly, Rukia shook her head.

"Good Kuchiki." Kaien ruffled her hair with a grin as she swatted his arm away. Then he turned serious. "Your guilt came close to crippling you, even though you saved my soul twice." He shook his head. "You torture yourself without reason, Rukia."

Rukia finally found her voice. "You don't resent me for not trying to free you from the hollow?" She knew there was no way she could have done so, but she still had to ask.

"Resent you? Kuchiki, I'm just glad you haven't done something stupid as a result of it." His tone was warm.

Rukia bowed slightly, her soul more at rest than it had been in years. "Thank you, Kaien." She addressed him without honorifics.

Kaien made no reply, and when Rukia looked back up, he had stepped back into the shadow cast by a nearby tree. The trunks began to grow, soaring high as some spread to join with their neighbours, others disappearing completely. The shadows lengthened, distorting Rukia's surroundings.

Rukia leapt to her feet, the waraji she wore clacking on the tiled floor. All she could see of Kaien was his face, and it held none of the kindness it had seconds previously.

"Why are you thanking me? I was only saying those lies to make you feel better about yourself." Kaien stepped forward, allowing Rukia to catch sight of his white, ruffled uniform and the trident held in his hand.

She was instantly on her guard. Sode no Shirayuki came up, keeping him at bay. The blade gleamed white in the darkness, shining with killer intent.

Aaroniero shook his head, still wearing Kaien's face. "You must really hate me. You've killed me twice already, so what's a third time?"

Rukia flinched slightly at the words, but did not drop her guard.

"See, you don't even have the confidence to admit that what you did was wrong, let alone apologize to my family." He shook his head sadly. "They didn't even get proper closure about my _murder _until you finally decided they deserved it."

"Shut up!" Her words were harsh.

"You just don't care, do you? You don't even feel guilt about what you did to me."

Rukia's eyes were like ice as she began to circle her tormentor. He continued on even as he followed her with his eyes.

"You took me away from my kid brother too." Aaroniero told her conversationally. "You left him distraught, and yet you couldn't find it within yourself to say 'I'm sorry'."

Her hands began to shake with rage and tears gathered unbidden in her eyes.

"You don't care at all." He accused. "If you'd cared, you would have taken your own life in penance!" Aaroniero lashed out.

Rukia was caught off guard when Aaroniero charged forward, brandishing Kaien's Nejibana before him like a spear. She dove to the side, narrowly avoiding impalement. Rukia rolled at she hit the ground and regained her feet, before aiming her hand squarely at Aaroniero's face.

Rukia built up all her emotion, all her pent up guilt and remorse, all her rage and fury and channelled it into a single Kido.

"_Raikouhou_!!!"

The resulting bolt was colossal, lighting up the entire room. It pierced Aaroniero's body, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. The Espada collapsed to his knees, the charred flesh of the wound smoking. Rukia approached him slowly.

"Kaien-dono would never tailor his words with the intent of causing another pain. With you acting like that, it is easy to distinguish the hollow you are." Rukia told him coldly. She pierced his right eye with the tip of her blade, watching as it burst. Before he had the chance to scream, before he had to the chance to draw breath, Rukia spoke the words that spelled his execution.

"_San no mae, Shirafune._"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia opened her eyes to see Hollow Rukia standing over her.

"**Get up.**" The hollow ordered. She grabbed Rukia by the collar and hauled her to her feet. "**You don't have the time to zone out, Queen. You really should be paying attention to **_**this**_** battle!**"

Hollow Rukia hefted Rukia bodily into the air, before launching her at a cluster of nearby trees. Rukia impacted with a crash, snapping several trunks as her body maintained its momentum.

As soon as she regained her feet, Hollow Rukia was there, slashing and cutting at her battered body. Rukia fended her off, barely keeping her at bay. Hollow Rukia brought her black blade down in a heavy slash and Rukia knocked it to the side with her counter.

Black and white blades danced as Hollow Rukia came closer and closer to overpowering her, batting her zanpukutou aside with ease. A nick here and there, soon Rukia was sporting many small cuts and gashes. Hollow Rukia laughed cruelly as she inflicted a deep slash along Rukia's front, from her hip running up between her breasts to her collar bone.

Rukia gasped in pain, staggering back several steps. Hollow Rukia merely watched her struggle, knowing that there was no escape. The wounded shinigami leant against a tree, attempting to regain her breath as she glared at her hollow.

"**You don't have the will required to win this battle, Rukia.**" Hollow Rukia snarled.

Rukia paled. That was the first time the hollow had named her anything aside from Queen. Things were dire.

"**You won't be Queen for much longer now. Soon, it will be my turn to reign,**" she boasted.

Hollow Rukia blurred out of sight, reappearing right in front of her. Without another word or threat, she drove her black blade into Rukia's stomach and through to the tree she leaned on, pinning her to it. The pain was almost unbearable, and as Hollow Rukia punched her in the face things began to fade out of sight.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was dark.

Not just dark, but black. No light entered the space she was in, leaving her blind as a newborn.

"Rukia." The voice was faint.

She made no response.

"Rukia." The voice was more insistent this time.

"Mmph."

"Rukia, look at me." The voice was commanding now, and vaguely familiar.

"…I can't see anything…"

"What?" He—it was undoubtedly a he—seemed startled.

"I think I'm blind."

The voice chuckled. Actually chuckled! Rukia swore mentally at whoever it was, not quite willing to risk offending them without her sight.

The chuckling finally subsided and then the voice spoke again. "Midget, your eyes are closed."

Midget? Rukia felt a scowl make its way onto her face—only one person she knew would dare call her midget to her face.

"I'm not a midget, you're just abnormally tall!" Rukia's eyes flew open as she shouted into Ichigo's face, a shout quickly followed by a clenched fist.

Rukia rose to her feet and glared at the orange haired teen as he clutched his face. Rukia noticed an angry red mark on his cheek with no small amount of satisfaction.

"Damn violent midget…" Ichigo trailed off as Rukia raised her fist threateningly again. "Chill, chill…" Ichigo said hurriedly.

Rukia looked around. Before her rude awakening, she had been laying on Ichigo's bed, while he stood over her at the side of the bed. She sank back down onto its edge, taking in his room. Not much had changed since she had last slept in the small closet, save a few pictures had been added to his desk.

"Oi, Rukia." Ichigo drew her attention away from the pictures. "What's going on out there? You're getting your short ass handed to ya."

Rukia glared at him. "It's not like I'm not trying!"

Ichigo looked her in the eye, taking on a serious expression. "Rukia. This is your fight. More than a fight for your pride, this is also a fight for your existence. Your chance to _prove_ that you don't need protecting."

Rukia was surprised, not by what Ichigo had told her, but by what he had admitted.

Ichigo gave her a small grin. "Of course I think you can protect yourself. Haven't you shown me that over and over? I mean, you beat me up on a regular basis, so who could possibly challenge you?" He finished arrogantly, coaxing a small laugh out of her. He was the only one capable of getting that reaction from her.

"I know you're sick of being protected, you want everyone to know that you can do it yourself. But have you considered that we protect you not because you need it, but because we want to? I _know_ I've told you that before." Ichigo broke off and sank into the chair at his desk.

"You have." Rukia replied quietly. "But it's not just being protected. I need to stop being coddled, for people to stop treating me like a fragile porcelain doll, like a _Kuchiki Princess_."

"Rukia…" Ichigo took a breath. "Maybe we do that because one day you won't need us anymore?" _I do it because I'm afraid one day you'll no longer need me by your side._

"Ichigo…" Rukia smiled as she replied. "No one has to worry about me not needing them. What would I do with no one to boss around?" _There will never be a day where I don't need you by my side._

Rukia felt as if she was floating, like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Admitting that had removed a shadow from her heart, and she felt more carefree than she had in ages.

"Now go." Ichigo commanded. "Go and show that bitch who's boss."

"Oh, I will." Rukia promised, fire lighting up her eyes. Then she turned teasing. "And then I'll be out for a taste of my favourite Strawberry."

"I can't wait."

His smirk was the last thing she saw before everything went dark.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia's vision was blurry as she felt the delayed pain from Hollow Rukia's punch. Blood was pouring from her broken nose, although the pain was eclipsed by that caused by the sword pinning her to the tree.

Hollow Rukia laughed in her face. "**And to think I was going to throw this fight. And to a being as weak and emotional as you...like you could **_**ever**_** defeat me!**"

And she made her fatal mistake.

She looked down on Rukia with contempt, for her and her abilities.

She belittled her emotions, degrading them.

She made her fatal mistake.

Hollow Rukia lashed out with her fist again. Her eyes widened in surprise as Rukia reached up and caught the blow, stopping it in its tracks.

"_Throw the fight? You think me weak? You see emotions as a burden?_" Rukia's was low, shaking with surpressed rage. "You don't have nearly enough power to contain _me!_" Her voice soared into a shout.

Ice burst out of Rukia's hand, capturing Hollow Rukia's fist as she held it. Hollow Rukia broke away, staring in fear at her now frozen solid hand, watching as a myriad of tiny cracks began to spread throughout it. Her fearful gaze swept to Rukia as the impaled shinigami pierced her with glowing eyes.

In a single movement, Rukia grabbed the black blade and drew it out of her body. Ice sprouted along the blade, erupting from her grip. The black colour of the zanpukutou was washed away by the purity of the ice, travelling from the blade, to the guard, to the hilt and finally along the ribbon.

Hollow Rukia turned and fled, feigning sheer, gibbering panic. In the back of her mind though, she was rapidly forming a plan to rescue victory from the jaws of defeat. The hollow sprinted haphazardly towards the lake, the centre of her power now that she was the dominant spirit in Rukia's soul. The waves raged furiously across the surface at the peak of their contest. Hollow Rukia allowed herself a malicious smirk as she settled on the surface, waiting for her prey to arrive and face her where her strength was strongest. Hollow Rukia eyed the trees where she had impaled Rukia, waiting for her battered body to emerge. But then there was a whisper of movement behind her; and Hollow Rukia felt her blood run cold as if Sode no Shirayuki herself was racing through her veins. The hollow turned, coming face to face with her judgment.

Rukia flicked her blade, wrapping the ribbon around Hollow Rukia's neck. The ice on the ribbon cut her sharply, sending droplets of blood to the earth.

"You lack the will to be Queen." Rukia informed her captive in a cold voice, a voice reminiscent of the fury of a blizzard and the raw power of an avalanche.

Sode no Shirayuki glittered as it pierced through the air, whistling as it did so. Hollow Rukia grunted in pain as the tip pierced her heart, sending it into furious palpitations.

Hollow Rukia grasped the blade that spelled her defeat with one hand, even as she began to sink into the depths of the lake.

"**You are the Queen, victorious and undefeated. **_**But heed my words**_**,**" Hollow Rukia rasped. "**if you ever give me the chance, if you ever show yourself to be unworthy of wearing the title of Queen, I will drag you down and crush your skull beneath my feet.**"

Hollow Rukia's words echoed as she disappeared beneath the surface of the lake before Rukia's eyes. The hollow had time for one last smirk before she vanished entirely. When she was finally gone from sight, the raging surface of the lake calmed, becoming smooth and flat as the depths cleared completely, revealing no trace of Hollow Rukia's body. She was suddenly very tired, and the flat surface of the lake looked very inviting. As she collapsed, her last sensation was that of a comforting presence behind her.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nel looked worriedly at Ichigo. The orange haired shinigami had gone into a trance as Grimmjow had finished his time fighting Rukia's beserk hollow form, completely out of touch from the world around him. Bard had jumped in for Grimmjow and inflicted numerous wounds without Ichigo batting an eye.

Rukia was now completely hollowfied, her entire body covered by white hollow armour. Both her legs were covered by intricate blue designs that drew the eye and caused the watcher to become lost within. Her feet had morphed into paws adorned with wicked looking claws, similar to her hands. What white armour there was that wasn't covered by blue markings had a textured affect on it, different shades of white giving it the illusion of fur. Her joints were now designed for sudden, explosive bursts of speed and she could easily get about on all fours, prowling around like a large jungle cat or a pride queen of some distant, dry savanah.

Rukia's mask was on full display, snarling at her opponent. Two blue lines extending above and below the right eye, a crown-like tiara adorned the top with two twisting blue lines just beneath it. Her left eye was underlined in deepest blue, three snowflake tear drops patterned beneath it. The vicious mouth was curled up in a feral grin, one side jagged teeth, the other a smooth grin. It was Tempest now who danced around her, keeping her occupied while giving her no chance to inflict harm in return. Yet Tempest still sported several cuts and slashes, evidence of the Vaizard's speed.

Tempest still appeared calm and collected, but inwardly she was struggling. She didn't know how the Kurosaki boy was able to fight this beast for so long and suffer as few injuries as he did. Tempest darted back, putting some distance between herself and Hollow Rukia. They eyed each other carefully, sizing their opponent up.

Power began to stream from Hollow Rukia's body, coming off it in waves. A pure white Cero formed as she clasped her hands together, Shirayuki held between them. Tempest began to build a Cero of her own, red energy twining towards it. With a buzz, Nel stood at her side, silent acknowledgment passing between the two women. This entity would soon pass the realms of merely being constrained.

Ichigo's eyes snapped open, glowing blue. He knew what was coming, saw the evidence before his eyes. Without time even to shout a warning, he was on his feet and surging towards Hollow Rukia.

Blood burst from Hollow Rukia's joints as she spasmed, the charging white Cero faltering. Ichigo came to a halt beside Tempest and Nel, body tense and tingling. More blood spurted from beneath the white armour, as several parts began to fall away.

Tempet, Nel, Bard, Grimmjow, Ichigo, all waited with bated breath as the armour began to crumble away from Rukia's body. The armour splintered and shattered as it hit the ground, leaving Rukia clad in her tattered whtie Espada uniform and mask.

Rukia's legs gave out beneath her and Ichigo blurred out of sight to catch her before she came into contact with the blackened and pockmarked ground. She opened her eyes slowly, pupils dilating as they became accustomed to the light.

"Looks like you showed that bitch who's boss." Ichigo smiled down at her. His bright hair drew her eyes and she ran her fingers through its soft spikes.

"Mmnh," she purred back, a feeling of relief descending upon her. "Now I'm ready for a taste of my favourite Strawberry."

Several seconds passed before each realised what the other had said. Shock showed cleary on each of their faces, Ichigo's mixed with relief and joy, Rukia's tired and drawn.

"...were actually there..." They mumbled together.

Ichigo chuckled softly as he held her in his arms, safe and secure. He smoothed a lock of hair from her face. "We can deal with that later." He told her firmly. "Right now, let's get to bed."

"Ichigo, I'm not quite ready for..." Rukia trailed off.

Ichigo chuckled again. "Don't worry. There's time for that later. Sleep now, Rukia." He stood, lifting her petite body with him.

"Ichigo..."

"Sleep now, Rukia." Ichigo repeated, leaning down to whisper in her ear. His deep voice sounded pleasant to her ears, lulling her into oblivion as he carried her down the halls to their room.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The afternoon sun had set the streets ablaze with an orange glow, casting long shadows as Renji, Tatsuki, Ishida, Chad and Inoue made their way back to the Vaizard hideout. It had been a fun day, but exhausting. It was strange, the way a day out with friends could tire them more than a rousing battle.

They piled tiredly onto the same bus they had caught in the morning, the same old man who drove the bus nodding cheerfully at them as they boarded. Ishida, Chad and Inoue sank into the bench seat at the back while Renji and Tatsuki leaned into each other on a seat in the middle.

Ishida glanced at Renji with irritation. The baboon had been dropping not so subtle hints about himself and Inoue-san ever since the conversatin they had had in the foodcourt. Now the red haired shinigami was whispering conspiratorily with Tatsuki, occasionally sneaking glances back at them. Ishida removed his glasses and cleaned them on the edge of his shirt, before placing them back on the bridge of his nose. This was a headache that he did not need.

Tatsuki was resting her head on Renji's shoulder, whispering into his ear as she did so. "...so Ishida actually has a thing for Orihime?"

Renji grinned and nodded. "Yeah, he pretty much admitted it at the food court today."

Tatsuki frowned slightly. "I had no idea. Why doesn't he say something? Ishida isn't shy or anything, just reclusive."

"Apparently cause of her feelings for Ichigo." Renji shrugged as best he could with Tatsuki resting on his shoulder.

"What?" Tatsuki yelped. The few other commuters on the bus gave her strange looks and she repeated herslef, more quietly this time. "I thought she was just giving Ichigo an overly enthusiastic farewell with that kiss."

"I know. I thought she was just being crazy," Renji replied.

Tatsuki began to feel slightly guilty. "I've completely neglected Orihime since we've been back. And we've been separated for two years....I had no idea she still had feelings like that for Ichigo. I thought she would have seen what was between him and Rukia and moved on..." Now she felt really down.

"Hey." Renji swooped in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips—slyly sliding in a bit of tongue while he was at it. "Just because I'm so damn sexy you can't keep your mind off me, is no reason to feel bad for not realizing who your friend has a crush on." Renji finished with an arrogant smirk.

Tatsuki tried her hardest to appear mad, but in the end all she could do was shake her head and smile as his behaviour. It was one of the reasons she felt so strongly about him. Ah well, if she couldn't manage mad, maybe she could manage content. Tatsuki snuggled into his shoulder more deeply, a small smile gracing her face when Renji threw an arm about her.

**XXX**

The five of them trudged back into the empty warehouse after their day out, ready to retire to their bedrolls. They made their way down the stairs, each accompanied by their own thoughts; Ishida contemplating Inoue-san's behaviour towards Kurosaki; Inoue daydreaming about Kurosaki-kun; Sado wondering how his best friend and girlfriend were doing in Hueco Mundo; Renji and Tatsuki about what they could get away with once they got back to their bedroll and dragged it into an isolated corner of the basement.

Overall, a good day.

It would be their last for a while.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Lady Murasaki inspected the single sheet of paper before her, taking in the details and annotations written on it. Her gaze was drawn to the sole image, an image of a young, flaxen haired girl hugging an older orange haired man. The words '**Confirmed Weakness**' were written in bold black print beneath the image.

Her delicate fingers brushed over the image, a momentary hesitation at doing anything to tear the brother and sister apart crossing her mind. She quashed it ruthlessly. She did not have the liberty of hesitation, or doubts. For she was Lady Murasaki, one of the Trinity controlling the Central 46 and she had fought and struggled against adversity all her life to get where she was now.

At the cusp of gaining power over all of Seireitei.

Lady Murasaki snapped her fingers sharply, a servant entering the small study in which she sat almost immediately.

"Bring me Five." She ordered crisply. "I believe his powers will be uniquely suited to this task."

The servant bowed and backed out of the room, silent all the way. After they passed through the door, they disappeared with the barest whisper of shunpo.

Lady Murasaki allowed herself a rare smile. Sipping at her tea, she contemplated the effects of her plan. They would be well worth the effort.

***Aaroniero is Rufflcar cause of all the ruffles on his Espada uniform.**

**Also, I've got a rough illustration of Rukia's hollow mask up on my DeviantArt account. Check my profile page for a link there. Tatsuki will be there soon, as will Renji.**

**And as always, REVIEW!!! **

**Your King demands it!**

**I'm being serious.**

**Please?**


	21. Return

**By Order of the Central 46, and the Will of the Royal Family**

**The Following Edicts Have Been Proclaimed:**

**1. A Special Triumvirate of Three Senior Central 46 Members has been approved by the Central 46 and Three of the Four Great Noble Houses.**

**2. The Identities of the Triumvirate will remain anonymous, so as to preserve the safety of the Triumvirate members.**

**3. All Special War-Time orders must be approved by the governing body of the Central 46, with express permission by the Triumvirate.**

**4. Promotions to Ranked Positions of 10****th**** Seat and Higher within the Gotei 13 must be Approved by the Central 46 Administrative Offices.**

**5. Any member of the Gotei 13 below Captain Rank must declare their Bankai immediately upon attaining it.**

**6. Officers within the Gotei 13 Ranked 10****th**** Seat and Higher must undergo Character Aptitude Exams. Only those of Captain Rank are Exempt.**

**7. All Spirit Academy Applicants must undergo Character Aptitude Exams. Failure to comply will result in non-admittance.**

**8. Upon order by the Central 46 under the Guidance of the Triumvirate, any living soul deemed a threat to Seireitei may be legally terminated. A Living Soul is deemed a threat via reaching Vice-Captain level in power, or being related to any such entity.**

**Any being designated as Traitorous to the ruling body of Seireitei may be killed on sight without repercussion or clearance. Capture and/or Interrogation is no longer mandatory.**

**The Central 46 reserves the right to demote or dismiss **_**any**_** Ranked Shinigami within the Gotei 13 when reasonable doubt as to their loyalties or capabilities arises.**

Five figures stood in the Vice-Captain meeting hall with an array of emotions displayed across their faces, ranging from contempt to worry. Hisagi, Hinamori, Kira, Nanao and Rikichi each viewed the list of proclamations that had been fixed to the meeting room wall.

"This is going to stir up a fucking hornets nest." Hisagi stated bluntly.

"That's one way to put it..." Rikichi agreed.

Nanao narrowed her eyes as she re-read the last three edicts. "The eighth, ninth and tenth new laws seem to be rather specific, like they are aimed at a certain group of people."

"You mean Renji-kun, Rukia-san and their nakama?" Momo questioned. The girl had undergone a change since the appointment of the new 5th Squad Captain. While she had hardened after her recovery during the Winter Battle and subsequent improvement, now she was a driven woman.

"They legalize reprisals against Kurosaki-san and his family, as well as threatening any who would attempt to support them." Kira spoke quietly. "Likewise, the aptitude tests mentioned in the sixth and seventh edicts will help ferret out any opposition to the power of the Central 46."

"The Central 46 is still our government." Rikichi pointed out. "Despite recent actions, they do have reason to be wary of members of the Gotei 13."

"Maybe, but what's with this Triumvirate?" Hisagi argued. "The Central 46 is supposed to be a senate of equal governors, so why suddenly elevate three of its members above the rest?"

Nanao knew of the reason, knew of the Trinity from eavesdropped conversations between her Captain and his special guests, but wisely kept this knowledge a secret.

"They're also controlling promotions in the top ranks of the Gotei 13. If they don't like someone, that means there's no way for them to reach tenth seat in a squad." Hisagi continued.

"I'm worried about what this will mean for Shiro-chan and his new nakama," Momo admitted. "Is the 2nd Squad going to be used to hunt down its former commander as well?"

Nanao sent Momo a warning look, the wrong person overhearing thoughts like that could lead to complications.

"The bigger concern is how the Central 46 is taking control. How will the Captain's or even the Noble Families react if power is taken from them and given to the Central 46? They aren't viewed the same anymore, not after the way they tried to seal the powers of a war hero and then replace so many Captain's with unknown shinigami." Rikichi questioned, a frown on his face.

"Depending on who's side you're on, things are either going to get a lot better or a lot worse." Kira observed.

There was a moment of solemn silence before an unwelcome and disturbing voice made itself known.

"Personally, I think the state of things are about to greatly improve!"

Each Lieutenant turned to face the newcomer, taking in his unsavory appearance. Mayuri Kurotsuchi rubbed his hands together, cracking each of his knuckles loudly. "More government control means more government sanctions, which results in a greater number of test subjects than ever!" The mad scientist continued in a gleeful tone.

"You seem overly supportive of the new edicts for a Captain, Kurotsuchi Taicho," Nanao remarked in a cold tone.

Mayuri turned his head, fixing Nanao with a single glaring eye. "You would dare to accuse _me_?" He spat, partly drawing his blade with a steely rasp.

Hisagi and Kira responded immediately, stepping up to Nanao's side as they partly drew their own blades in response. Mayuri's eyes widened further in anger as he made to draw his blade completely, fully intent on showing the upstart lieutenants exactly why they should fear him.

Mayuri was about to free his blade completely and let his wrath spill over, when a strong hand grabbed his own and forced the blade back down. Mayuri turned to see who would dare interfere with his discipline and was confronted by a rather colorful haori.

Kyouraku Shunsui stared Mayuri down, forcing the 12th Squad Captain to submit. "Don't be hasty now, Kurotsuchi." he warned, before dispelling his serious demeanor with a grin. "You can't blame my Nanao-chan for suspecting you, she always did have a fear of clowns."

Kurotsuchi hissed in spitefully. "Kyouraku..."

The bearded man raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" He inquired.

Mayuri seemed to swell with anger, before slumping and turning away, muttering to himself. Kyouraku and the lieutenants watched as the 12th Squad Captain rounded a corner before hearing the telltale sound of a flash step.

Kyouraku winked cheerfully at Momo, earning a small blush from the 5th Squad adjutant. "Now, if I were a lieutenant that had just defied the great Kurotsuchi Mayuri, I'd probably hang around my Captain for a while."

The others got the hint immediately. Rikichi bowed politely to his comrades and Kyouraku before flash stepping away from the Vice-Captain meeting hall. Kyouraku tipped his hat to the group before walking off with Nanao in tow, leaving Hisagi, Kira and Momo.

"What do you think of your Captains?" Hisagi questioned his two friends.

Momo made a disgusted expression. "Nakajima Taicho cares more about his appearance than the squad or his subordinates."

Hisagi agreed with her disapproval. "Mine would probably hand me over on a silver platter," he snorted.

Kira hesitate before answering. "Tanaka Taicho is...unusual." When Hisagi and Momo seemed to be waiting for more, Kira expanded. "He's a complete eccentric, but I can tell he hides a great deal of power."

The three fukutaicho's pondered each other's words before taking their leave, disappearing in the direction of their respective squads.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Lady Murasaki's dark hair fell gracefully over her shoulder as she sat stiffly, her back straighter than the flat wooden surface that served as a back rest for her chair. Lord Hirato sat to her side, his form hunched forward as he sat with his fingertips pressed together. A third figure sat blindfolded in a chair opposite them, blindfolded to protect the identities of two members of the newly formed 'Triumvirate'. The room they sat in was spartan in design, bare walls and lacking furniture but for the three chairs the occupants of the room sat on. The only source of illumination came from a high, barred window near the ceiling.

Lady Murasaki returned her focus to the conversation at hand, hoping that Hirato had finished his grandstanding. She was to be disappointed.

"...and remember, you are to complete these orders without fail. We need 'him' emotionally incapacitated in order to further our goals." Hirato was impressing the importance of their task to the man identified as 'Five'.

The subordinate considered his orders for a moment. "Why only one? Why not kill them all?"

Hirato glanced at Murasaki for the barest of seconds, but it was enough to indicate that he had wondered the same thing. "We want an emotionally incapacitated foe," he answered. "Not a berserker with nothing to lose."

The man nodded his acceptance of his task, silently obeying.

"I expect it done as soon as possible." Hirato reasserted his authority as he stood to leave. "See to it."

With those final comments, Hirato stalked from the room, his small mouth set in a hard line. Five rose slightly unsteadily and made to follow, but was held back by Lady Murasaki with a curt order. The man took his seat and waited for whatever instruction his commander had for him.

"You are to hold off in obeying your orders, for a short while." Murasaki explained in a soft, quiet voice. "Give the enemy time to divide their forces in an attempt to hide."

The man hesitated before deciding to risk a question. "How do you know they will do so?"

Murasaki released a small tinkle of laughter, the sound of it sending shivers down the man's spine. "Because, Nakajima Taicho, it is what I would do," she answered, her laughter subsiding. "That is all."

The 5th Squad Captain rose from his chair and used his reiatsu to sense the doorway, making his way from the room and partly down the hallway before he dared to remove the blindfold around his head. He rubbed his beard as he walked, considering the meeting. Neither he nor any of his fellow Kagai captains had ever seen the Lady Murasaki's face. Glimpses had been caught of both Hirato and Ryosuke by all, but Murasaki was most adept at keeping her appearance a secret from her subordinates.

Nakajima reflected on his orders, and how he was going to accomplish them. Killing a member of the Kurosaki household was going to prove a difficult task, even if she was lacking in power.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ukitake chuckled as he took a sip of his sake, listening as Kyouraku finished his story of the lieutenant's encounter with Kurotsuchi.

"You called him a clown to his face? I would have enjoyed being present to see his reaction." Ukitake smiled.

Kyouraku drained an entire cup in a single swig. "It was something, old friend," he agreed.

The two of them were discussing the new edicts from the Central 46 along with their lieutenants. Nanao sat beside Ukitake's new fukutaicho, a young woman by the name of Watanabe Miki. Ukitake had taken to calling her 'Hime' for her given name, which meant 'Beautiful Princess'. She was of a medium height, with red hair cropped short and a pale complexion, wearing her standard zanpukutou on her side.

"Hime, what do you think of the new edicts?" Ukitake asked kindly.

Miki appeared startled that her opinion was being asked for. "I think it depends," she answered carefully. "The extra power could be good, could be bad. It depends on how it is used."

The two Captains considered the possible Kagai informer's answer for several moments. Then Kyouraku broke out in a broad grin, pulling a rather large bottle of sake from inside his robes.

Kyouraku directed his grin at Nanao. "Ladies, I suggest you take a little stroll through the 13th. If you stay any longer I won't be able to control myself in the presence of two such beautiful women," he finished with a wink at Miki, causing a pretty blush to rise in her pale face.

A flash of understanding flickered in Nanao's eyes before she rose abruptly to her feet. "Quickly, Watanabe fukutaicho. Kyouraku Taicho can become rather insistent when he imbibes that amount of sake."

Without another word Nanao dragged Miki from the room, appearing to flee fearfully from the possibility of her Captain becoming any drunker than he already was.

Ukitake smiled at Nanao's diversion. "Your lieutenant is a rather good actor."

"She has to be," Kyouraku agreed. "How else could she pretend to have no feelings for me each and every day?"

Ukitake chuckled and shook his head, taking another sip of sake, before Kyouraku became serious.

"What do you think the true intention of these edicts are, Juushirou?"

Ukitake focused himself before answering. "I think most are aimed at our small council and the Nakama specifically. The rest seem to have been proclaimed with the intention of increasing the power of the Central 46, and therefore the Trinity, who we can be fairly sure are the new 'Triumvirate'."

Kyouraku poured himself another drink somberly. "Guess we'll just have to lay low for a little while." His depressed demeanor disappeared as he seemed to recall a certain fact. "Besides, I hear the new 3rd Division Captain can stomach his sake."

Ukitake attempted to remain serious, before finally giving in and allowing the corners of his mouth to twitch up in a grin, as he shook his head and took another sip of some of the best sake in Seireitei.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Matsumoto Rangiku bustled happily from shop to shop in one of the higher class Rukon districts, making her purchases without a second thought. The load of bags and new possessions she now carried would have broken a lesser man, but lesser men were not attractive, confident, well endowed women on a shopping spree payed for by the 10th Division of the Gotei 13.

Rangiku paused for a moment, considering the display of a certain store. While she had no qualms about shoving the rather impressive bill she was racking up down her current Captain's throat, she could just imagine the screaming tantrum Toushirou would have when he returned.

She would have to buy something to appease him, the blonde lieutenant decided.

Entering the store, Matsumoto made her purchase quickly, sure of the wisdom in the choice of her gift.

A Hitsugaya Taicho Limited Edition pez dispenser would certainly not go unappreciated. Rangiku giggled slightly to herself as she examined the candy holder.

Ooh look! It had a bobble head and everything!

Hitsugaya was sure to appreciate the likeness.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Grimmjow Jeagerjacques, for some obscure reason, had decided he would sleep in his Resureccion form, curling up on his side in a posture not dissimilar to a contented cat.

That was not to say he would take kindly to any attempted petting.

The ex-Espada's dreams cast him back through time, just over two years ago, after his first equal fight with the Kurosaki bastard.

_Grimmjow was surrounded by the peculiar sensation of falling, falling without any sense of movement. He was blind, deaf and mute, feeling only the feeling of life somehow passing him by._

_He snarled._

_He was Grimmjow Jeagerjacques, and not a pampered kitten who sat by and let victory pass him by!_

_Grimmjow fought, struggled against the invisible bindings on his senses and prohibitions on his power. The sensation of falling slowed, stopped, and then began to reverse, but painfully slowly. Still Grimmjow fought, coldly furious at the idea that he would go down without a fight. _

_But it was a drain, a drain on reserves he no longer had. He could feel his slow progress up arrested, before the agonising decent downwards began anew. _

_But this time, something caught him. Something warm, something glowing, something _caring_. Before he knew it, Grimmjow was once again rising, but this time it was with speed, and he could see a light far above him. As he was drawn closer, the light brightened,and then darkened, before turning harsh orange. _

_Grimmjow scowled. He hated that colour._

_The light separated into two, and Grimmjow gave a shuddering gasp of fresh air. _

"_Good to see you again, Sleeping Beauty."_

_Grimmjow opened his eyes and swore for three minutes straight without repeating himself once._

"_Finished?" Kurosaki Ichigo asked in an amused tone of voice._

_Grimmjow responded with a one fingered salute before dragging himself to his feet, ready to beat the living shit out of the shinigami who dared to look down on him. He found himself pulled bodily forward, Kurosaki snarling in his face. _

"_You don't have a chance of beating me in your condition. You couldn't beat me before, and now I've killed Ulquiorra, so back off."_

_Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo's wrist where it gripped his jacket, attempting to crush it through pressure. Ichigo gave no indication he felt Grimmjow's exertions. _

"_We can fight later, but for now, just shut up and listen for once."_

_At the mention of a future fight, Grimmjow released his grip. "I'm holding you to that, Kurosaki."_

_Ichigo nodded once before turning to talk to one of his comrades. Grimmjow half listened to their conversation as he looked about the destroyed throne room of Las Noches. Ichigo was discussing the defeat of Yammy by someone called Unohana Taicho, but Grimmjow couldn't have cared less. One thing that did catch his interest, however, was the small window of bright white Kido that had formed before the throne. Grimmjow hawked and spat, before deciding to subtly draw the others attention to the Kido._

"_Oi, Kurosaki, what the fuck is that?" Grimmjow jerked his head towards the throne._

_Heads turned towards the Kido, examining the intrusion suspiciously. The Quincy formed his bow, the weapon glowing brightly with energy. _

"_It is a Transference Kido," Ishida explained curtly. _

"_Where are the others?" Ichigo demanded._

"_Outside, watching Unohana taicho finish off Yammy," Chad replied deeply. _

_Further conversation was cut off when the window of Kido began to clear, an image forming within. When it cleared fully, a profile view of Aizen Sousuke was visible. Lacking his usual air of detached amusement, Aizen was snapping out orders to several foggy figures in the background of the Kido,his voice terse. _

_Aizen's voice began to echo throughout the throne room of Las Noches. "Ulquiorra, prepare a defense for my palace. We are being pursued by--"_

_The traitor's orders were cut off as he turned to view the occupants of the antechamber. Instead of his loyal 4__th__ Espada bowing subserviently, he was greeted by the sight of the seven beings who had the greatest reason for hating him in existence. _

_Aizen smiled. "Abarai Renji. Kuchiki Rukia. Yasutora Sado. Inoue Orihime. Grimmjow Jeagerjacques. Kurosaki Ichigo," he greeted them each in turn. "I see you are enjoying the hospitality of Las Noches?" When no answer was forthcoming, he continued on. "May I inquire as to the location of Ulquiorra?"_

_Ichigo smirked at the image of Aizen and shrugged. "Last time I saw him, he was missing a few important body parts and in the process of dissolving."_

_Aizen's face tightened for a moment, before returning to its previous state. He turned to convey new orders to the foggy figures standing behind him. "It would appear that we have several squatters in our home. We shall need to clear them out in order to return." Arrogantly, Aizen raised his hand to strike open a Garganta._

"_Say, Aizen," Ichigo drawled. "Unohana taicho is really annoyed with you. She came all the way here to fight you, but had to settle for the Cero Espada instead." Ichigo let out a dark chuckle. "I really wouldn't advise pissing her off any further."_

_Aizen froze in the motion of tearing open a Garganta. There was a curious expression on his face...could it be fear?"_

"_You're scared of her," Grimmjow stated in disbelief. "You're fucking scared of the woman!"_

_Aizen drew himself up, and the figures visible in the background of the Kido were excluded from view. "I fear nothing!"_

"_BULLSHIT!!" Grimmjow shouted gleefully. "You're fucking scared, you hair gel obsessed pansy!"_

_A livid expression crossed Aizen's face, before he turned to barked several more orders to his unnamed subordinates. "We shall find a new place to regroup. Las Noches is no longer secure."_

"_And now you're running away!" Grimmjow bellowed. "I refuse to follow a coward who flees from battles! When this gets out, you've lost the allegiance of the Espada, you buttfucker!"_

_The red haired shinigami to his right snickered loudly, and Ichigo seemed to be fighting to prevent himself breaking out into loud guffaws._

"When I am through with you, there will not be a single safe place in all of Hueco Mundo for you._" Aizen hissed spitefully. _

_Grimmjow responded by grabbing his crotch and thrusting towards Aizen's image. "Suck on that one!"_

_At this, Ichigo lost control completely, howling with laughter while his red headed comrade sank to his knees clutching his stomach. Even the stoic Quincy had a small grin on his face. _

_Without another word, Aizen made a cutting motion with his hand, and the Kido window began to shrink in size. _

"_That's right," Grimmjow taunted. "Run back to bed with your pet fox! Tell me, does your hair gel double as lube?"_

_Aizen's last view of his former throne room was of two hysterically laughing male shinigami, a female shinigami clutching her sides as an orange haired human woman leaned on her for support, two male humans doing their very best to fight of the largest shit-grins ever seen, and a male Arrancar shaking his crotch at him. _

_After several long moments, order returned to the room. Still chuckling, Ichigo wiped a tear from his eyes and questioned Grimmjow, "hair gel?"_

_Grimmjow shrugged, "He drowns his hair in it. How else do ya think he's always got that one lock hanging down above his eye?"_

Grimmjow woke sedately, sitting up and stretching all the kinks out of his back like a contented cat. As he got to his feet, he considered his dream. Aizen must still be holding his grudge, as the new 6th Espada had a habit of finding him fairly regularly. Shrugging, Grimmjow returned to his sealed form and began to search for Nel with the intention of a friendly spar, dragging the tip of Pantera along the glass floor as he went.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo sat with his back against the wall of the room he and Rukia shared, the petite shinigami currently seated between his legs, thoroughly enjoying the shoulder massage she was currently receiving.

"My Hollow keeps asking when we're gonna let them out again," Ichigo grumbled.

"Why would we let them out?" Rukia replied, eyes closed as Ichigo's hands smoothed out the tension from her knotted muscles.

"Hichigo wants to have some fun with your hollow," Ichigo replied. He left out the discussions he had participated in with his Hollow regarding the matter.

"She's not coming out any time soon," Rukia replied with a frown. "I'm not giving her any slack until she teaches me a technique or two."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "It took Hichigo more than two years to teach me the Cero Sussuro." He pointedly ignored Hichigo's sudden shouts of panic at having to go that long without something he was calling 'Crimson Rites'.

Rukia smiled mischievously, leaning back into Ichigo's body as he wrapped his arms around her. "Yes, but you did not have any leverage against him. If my Hollow wants out, she has to do as I say."

**King, you have to persuade her! **Hichigo screeched within Ichigo's mind. **I can't last that long!**

_It's not Rukia you need to persuade._ Ichigo replied silently, before tuning the frantic Hollow. It was amusing, the effect that the lure of sex had on his personality.

"How do you think the others are doing in the real world?" Rukia asked curiously, unaware of the conversation that had just occurred in Ichigo's mind.

"Renji and Tatsuki are probably spending all their time getting to know each other rather...intimately," Ichigo smirked. "Which, more importantly, is what we should be doing right now."

Rukia gave a small shriek as Ichigo's fingers danced along her sensitive ribs, hitting all of her most ticklish spots. Her mouth was soon otherwise occupied, as she relaxed into Ichigo's arms and decided to just enjoy the pleasure his kiss was giving her.

To Ichigo's surprise, Rukia broke away from the kiss after several long moments, smiling coyly at him. "Ichigo.."

"Yes..." He answered cautiously.

"You remember the book that Urahara tried to foist off on you..."

Ichigo paused for a moment, trying to recall the event Rukia spoke of. Then his eyes widened in alarm. "The Kama Sutra book?"

Rukia nodded, the coy smile on her face evolving into something more appropriate for a Cheshire cat, as she reached into her robes and pulled out a small, much used book.

Ichigo felt the blood rushing rapidly from his face.

Well now. Hueco Mundo just became a lot more interesting.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Somewhere above Karakura Town, Hitsugaya broke out into a small chuckle, and Soi Fon turned to gape at this momentous occurrence.

When he saw her questioning gaze, Hitsugaya explained, "just remembering what you did to that poor SMC scout the other day."

Soi Fon blushed slightly, remembering her actions during their diversion for Urahara. They had been toying with several low level Hollow, keeping them away from populated areas and making sure to kick up enough of a fuss to be noticed by Soul Society's sensors. A lone SMC agent had had the double misfortune to first be lurking nearby, and second to draw the attention of his ex-commanding officer.

"I didn't treat him that badly..." Soi Fon defended herself weakly.

Hitsugaya snorted, "you threatened to castrate him and send him to Hueco Mundo without any clothes. And that was after you bludgeoned a Hollow to death with his body."

During their time in the living world, the two ex-Captain's had gradually drawn closer. Their alienation of Soul Society by the Central 46 had been made more bearable by the other's company. That, and the black haori's they now wore. The black inverted haori's in particular seemed to be a direct challenge to their exile, a statement that they were still figures of power—even when in opposition to the government they had both sworn to protect.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"...my poor shop," Urahara moaned., laid out on the floor of the Vaizard base. "Completely destroyed! And all my loyal customers will think I've abandoned them!"

Tessai cut in over an barely suppressed snort from Yoruichi. "I believe I can place a barrier over the Shoten to hide its location and prevent unauthorised entry, Manager."

Urahara's eyes widened in joy, "a Royal Barrier? For me? Tessai, you shouldn't have!"

"It is no problem, Manager," Tessai acknowledged Kisuke's profuse thanks with a nod. "Now, I have some wonderful Anti-Depressants I think you should try."

Urahara paled dramatically, before leaping to his feet and diving out the window, only to be caught mid-air by Tessai. The big man carried him away despite his vehement protests, leaving a wildly cackling Yoruichi in their wake.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tatsuki and Renji were sparring lightly, a favourite pastime between the two of them. Each was grinning widely, enjoying the competition as they pushed the other's limits. Both were fighting with their sealed swords, the unremarkable blades clashing against each other in a flurry of sparks and noise.

As they stopped in place, blades straining against each other, Tatsuki's leg snapped out into Renji's midsection, sending him flying. He collided heavily with a large boulder, giving out a pained grunt as his body kicked up a small cloud of dust. Tatsuki's grin widened as she set herself for his counterattack.

Suddenly, they were not alone. Urahara, Yoruichi, Tessai as well as Ururu and Jinta, Soi Fon and Hitsugaya, along with their Nakama took up positions around them, each facing towards the stairway entrance to their hideout. Renji was on his feet immediately, standing solidly beside Tatsuki. For what seemed an eternity, no one spoke, moved, or dared to breathe.

"How many?" Renji questioned, wetting his lips with his tongue.

"No way of telling. They're hiding their reiatsu excellently, but they're too powerful to hide it completely," Urahara answered curtly, the persona of the eccentric shopkeeper gone. In its place stood the figure of a powerful warrior, one who defied Heaven and mocked Hell, yet still stood tall to tell the tale.

"The Vaizard have no reason for hiding their reiatsu from us," Ishida stated, his posture such that he could summon his bow at a moments notice.

"We have no way of knowing," Yoruichi cautioned. "Be ready for anything to come down those stairs, be it friend or foe."

The sound of footsteps began to echo loudly down into the enormous hidden basement as the unknown group came closer. The sound was casual, unhurried, betraying the presence of at least five figures.

Finally, a number of legs came into view. As the group descended to the dirt floor of the basement, their leader grinned at the sighs of relief released by several members of their 'welcoming party'.

Hirako Shinji's grin stretched from ear to ear as he flicked his hair out of his eyes and tilted his cap up.

"We're back."

**Many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, **_**many**_** apologies for the wait between updates. We've just gotten through a rather hectic period in Year 12, apparently the most concentrated three weeks of assignments, exams and State testing we'll ever go through. And as this stuff was "kinda" serious, you'll forgive me for not writing throughout them like I did last time.**

**Either way, hope you enjoyed the update. I've just realised I've pulled 100 000 words, and still not gotten to the second complication, or even any resolution for the first. **

**I've got big plans for Seireitei, big plans indeed.**

***cue evil laugh***

**Once again, hope you enjoyed and please **_**review**_**. They mean a lot to me, and I haven't been getting many lately.....probably cause I haven't updated. **

**o.O**


	22. Jinxed

**I'm deeply sorry....no, really, I am.**

***cough***

**In the midst of being swamped with assignments, exams, end of year preparations and job hunting, this latest update has taken more than a month....nearly two. I'll do my best to ensure that it doesn't happen again, and it should be fairly easy.....cause we're about to enter the part where the shit hits the fan.**

A cold silence permeated the sands of Hueco Mundo under the ever-present moon, a pall cast over the eerily empty world. Two figures lay atop the plateau of a large boulder, reclining in the otherwise forbidding environment.

Rukia shifted slightly, causing her pillow to squirm. Ichigo glanced down to where Rukia's head rested on his stomach as his hand stroked her hair softly, taking in the sight of his partner.

He didn't even take into account her clothing, a white Espada outfit that was deliciously form fitting. There was only Rukia, the woman who gave him the power to protect and the strength to continue moving forward.

"What's on your mind?" Ichigo inquired, shifting his gaze to the sky above.

Rukia was quite for a moment, apparently taking the question seriously. "I was thinking that we should be returning to the living world soon," she replied finally.

Ichigo propped his hands behind his head, lifting it up. "Urahara told us a week would be best," he pointed out. "We've only been here four days."

"I know, Ichigo," Rukia informed him, rolling over to rest her chin on his stomach. "But I do not believe Urahara expected the suppression of my Hollow to occur so quickly. What reason is there to remain here now?"

"I think we should wait a few more days, just to be sure," Ichigo replied doubtfully.

Rukia raised herself up into a sitting position to fix Ichigo with a raised eyebrow. "Is there a reason you would prefer to stay in Hueco Mundo rather than the Living World?"

"It's not me," Ichigo replied quickly. "I just think it'll be safer for us and our friends if we stay here."

A sly expression made itself known on Rukia's face. "I think you are holding out on my, Ichigo. I may have to resort to drastic measures to get the truth out of you."

"Drastic measures?" Ichigo asked uneasily. He knew damn well that when Rukia wanted to know something, she had ways of getting it out of people.

"Yes," Rukia replied solemnly. "Drastic."

Ichigo wasn't given the barest chance to escape his impending doom, before Rukia leaped upon him. Expecting a tickling assault, Ichigo screwed his eyes up and prepared for the worst. If only she had chosen something that 'mild'.

Ichigo let out a gasp as a pair of freezing hands found their way onto his bare skin, one on his cheek, the other slipping inside his white jacket to rest on his chest. Rukia grinned wickedly at her subtle use of Kido to torment Ichigo. There really was no higher purpose for Kido outside of battle.

Rukia's smirk stretched further as her left hand trailed over Ichigo's abdomen, leaving a trail of cold skin, and her right began to massage his neck. Manfully, Ichigo attempted to weather the underhanded attack, but then Rukia played her trump card.

Ichigo bit off a strangled yelp as Rukia's hand slipped into his pants, introducing freezing cold to a piece of his anatomy that definitely did not appreciate it.

"I give, I give!" Ichigo exclaimed in a strained tone of voice.

Rukia leaned back, but remained straddling him. "Well?" she asked in a cheeky voice.

Ichigo mumbled something.

"I didn't quite catch that," Rukia replied teasingly, placing a hand back on his chest.

"I want to keep you to myself for a little while longer," Ichigo revealed grumpily. "Happy now?"

Rukia paused for a moment, feeling a small glow rise within her. But then she remembered her role as teasing girlfriend. "Keep me to yourself? Are you sure it isn't because you want to try every position in the little book Urahara gave me?"

"You got me," Ichigo rolled his eyes, as if caught out, before they turned mischievous. "So you're not against it either?"

Rukia smiled mysteriously, before allowing herself to fall forward onto Ichigo's body. While her head rested on his chest, her feet only reached the vicinity of his knees.

"Why do you want to return?" Ichigo questioned seriously. He was not against returning to the Living World—just curious as to why Rukia was so concerned with doing so.

Without meeting his gaze, Rukia replied, "I just feel that we are needed there. We have no reason to tarry here. My Hollow is subdued, the Warren," as they had taken to calling the canyon and myriad of caves that served as their erstwhile home, "is no longer under attack, and we have been here for four days." Rukia finished, clearing her throat. "I just don't think we should tarry."

Ichigo considered her words for several moments. "You sound like you've put a lot of thought into this," he said finally. "You really want this?" he added slightly wistfully.

"I feel that we need to," Rukia responded firmly. "And besides," she added with dancing eyes, "I'm sure we will find ample time to peruse the useful little book while in the Living World."

Ichigo brightened momentarily, before a cloud crossed over his face. "My psychopathic father is in the Living World," he pointed out. "You honestly think we'll be able to get away with that sort of thing _anywhere_ in the same dimension as him without having him interrupt and embarrass us?"

Peal after peal of laughter was Rukia's only response, leaving Ichigo blinking in surprise.

****

The murmur of numerous voices traveled about the hall. Despite the cordial nature of the gathering, there was an ugly undertone, a current of mistrust that ran throughout the room. The meeting that had been called to discuss the new emergency orders handed down by the Central 46 had been scheduled to begin over twenty minutes ago, and the Captain's were becoming impatient.

Although several were starting to believe that the Soutaicho was postponing his arrival just to see how _they_ liked it.

Many of the waiting Captains were involved in small conversations of their own, the traditional two lines of white haori's abandoned in order to mingle.

Nakajima Hayato, 5th Squad Taicho, stood apart from the rest and sneered as he surveyed his fellow Captains, as if they were somehow beneath him. He alone knew what this meeting was about, and secretly, he was going to enjoy carrying out his orders. Receiving the orders from the old bastard was just a formality, a way of showing the rest who held the real power.

Hayashi Kaede, 9th Squad Taicho and Unohana Retsu were conversing quietly in a corner of the room. Unohana had a pleasant expression on her face, and was talking politely to Hayashi, yet the other occupants of the room couldn't help but note that the temperature seemed to be several degrees lower in their vicinity, and that Hayashi was looking exceedingly uncomfortable.

At the head of the room, near to where Yamamoto would stand to direct the meeting, Kyouraku and Ukitake were joking with Tanaka Hikari, 3rd Squad Taicho, about something to do with sake, The Shinigami Women's Association, and an obscene amount of first aid supplies.

Nakamura Sachike, 2nd Squad Taicho, was engaged in a staring contest with Zaraki Kenpachi. The newly appointed Kagai Captain was sweating imperceptibly, and his eyes were showing the faintest hints of water. No one had the heart to tell him that Kenpachi was actually asleep, his eyes only open as a deterrent, a result of surviving the harshest districts of Rukongai.

Kuchiki Byakuya and Komamura Sajin were silent, each immersed in their own thoughts. The ideas running through the mind of the stoic noble would be considered traitorous, while those going through the 7th Squad Taicho's couldn't be more loyal. Strangely, both Captains were dedicated to the same purpose.

"....and then I increase the amounts threefold, and I should have enough," Mayuri Kurotsuchi muttered, talking to himself at the back of the room. "I fail to see why five times the amount would result in such a catastrophic explosion, I was only expecting one building to be leveled, not the compound..."

Shimizu Kimiko, 10th Squad Taicho, stood alone with her arms crossed childishly, her sour tongue having driven off all potential conversationalists. Her already pinched face became even more so as she saw Matsumoto Rangiku enter the meeting hall and approach her, holding a thick slip of parchment out for her Captain before scurrying away to talk to Yachiru, who was currently perched on Kenpachi's shoulder.

Those watching the interaction between the 10th Squad Captain and Lieutenant recognised the parchment as a requisition form for Squad funds, and judging by the number of parchments, Matsumoto's haste in delivering them, and Shimizu's now solid red face, it was a rather hefty bill.

Obviously, the new Captain hadn't yet learned that you _never_ allowed Matsumoto Rangiku to wander around freely whilst with access to the 10th Squad coffers.

Further conversation was forestalled by the late arrival of Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai, the distinguished old man striding to the head of the room assisted by his cane. The attending Captains fell into their lines, the lieutenants taking up position behind their superiors.

Before Yamamoto could call the meeting to order, Ukitake spoke up. "Genryusai-sensei, may I ask why there is a Central 46 operative concealed to your left?" he asked with a small frown.

There was a shimmer in the air near to where Ukitake had indicated, and a masked man in dark robes was revealed. "It is the will of the Triumvirate that all Captain's meetings are supervised," a male voice informed them coldly.

"The Captain's meetings _are_ supervised," Komamura growled threateningly. "The Soutaicho leads us, not the Triumvirate."

"That is not the issue," Yamamoto replied firmly, cutting off any response.

"Then what is the issue?" Mayuri demanded harshly. "This is a waste of valuable time, time that I could be using to experiment!"

"Remember your place, Kurotsuchi." Kuchiki Byakuya stated in a low voice, forcing his fellow Captains to pay attention in order to hear. "You are nothing more than a _criminal_ that has enjoyed a degree of luck to gain yourself a position that you are unworthy of, a position that is in no way secure."

A flicker of fear was seen in Mayuri's eyes, but only for a moment. His chest seemed to swell as he drew in a breath to rant at the 6th Squad Taicho, only for Yamamoto to bring his authority to bear once more.

"You will all of you remember your place," Yamamoto boomed. "You are Captains of the Gotei 13, yet your behaviour is more becoming of an Academy dropout. We have our orders, as given by the Central 46--"

"Ah, Yama-jii," Kyouraku interrupted, the only man present with the temerity or inclination to do so. "You're the one who gives us orders, not the Central 46. They don't have the authority to give us orders, only policies."

"The orders relate to the newly proclaimed edicts," Yamamoto revealed. "As such, the ruling body of the Central 46 does claim the authority in this matter."

"And what would our esteemed rulers have us do?" Byakuya asked. On another man, the tone would have been described as derisive.

"Young man," Hayashi Kaede interjected coldly. "You would do well to show respect for your social and political betters."

Byakuya fixed Kaede with a penetrating gaze, causing the elderly appearing woman to falter slightly. "Hayashi-Taicho. Perhaps it is you who would do well to respect her social, political, and _martial_ betters, before you contemplate instructing others in the matter."

Ukitake chuckled inwardly. Little Byakuya had just told a fellow Captain to their face that he came from a better family, wielded more political influence, and was a more powerful warrior—all in the middle of a Captains meeting. The Byakuya of two years ago would never have even contemplated doing so. It seemed that recent occurrences had shown the Kuchiki heir that sometimes it _was_ best to ignore the rules and break from tradition.

"Captains," Yamamoto spoke with an undercurrent of anger, his patience gone. "You will receive your orders, you will act in a manner befitting your station, and _you will do your duty_."

Silence reigned after the Soutaicho's denunciation, each Captain considering his words whilst their lieutenants hid their shock. Never had there been arguments like this between the Captains—squabbling, yes, but nothing of this scale. It seemed the Captains were less unified than they had once thought. Hidden Kagai and true Gotei alike knew they had been out of line, yet none were repentant.

"And what are our orders?" Nakajima Hayato asked arrogantly, treating the situation like a silly formality that he really didn't have time for.

Yamamoto opened his left eye fully, fixing his scorching gaze on the Kagai member who had so arrogantly spoken up, banishing the air of smugness that surrounded the 5th Squad Taicho. He may be an old, duty bound man, but at this moment he was still the most powerful warrior in Seireitei, as well as a supreme strategist. Despite outward appearances, he knew a great deal about the happenings of the nation he protected—including the machinations of those who had so loftily named themselves the 'Triumvirate'.

Yet duty was duty, and if even he could not bring himself to heed it, madness would soon descend. It was with a heavy heart that he relayed the orders that had been given to him only that morning.

"Our orders are simple. The command for the elimination of the biggest threat to Soul Society have been handed down, and we shall follow them."

"We've been looking for Aizen for more than two years," Kenpachi snorted, entering the conversation for the first time. "They think that because they hand down some fancy orders we'll be able to find him faster?"

"The orders do not relate to Aizen," Yamamoto answered, his brow furrowed. "Kurosaki Ichigo has been deemed a threat to Seireitei by the Central 46, and by the power granted to them through the eighth of ten new edicts, he may be legally terminated as a Traitorous. He has been given this classification by reaching Vice-Captain level in power whilst outside the authority of Seireitei."

The meeting hall was now deadly silent, and there was no mistaking the smug looks on the faces of the 5th and 9th Squad Taichos. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, Kenpachi began to grin.

"I get to fight Ichigo? With no limits?" The huge man asked eagerly, bloodlust rising in his eyes. It had been too long since he had let loose, and Ichigo was the only one who knew how to enjoy a fight like he did.

"No," Yamamoto crushed Kenpachi's hopes. "The current orders do not relate to the execution of Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ukitake had taken great care to commit the new edicts to memory upon their proclamation, and there was a sickening feeling in his gut as he guessed where this was going. "You cannot be serious, Genryusai-sensei," Ukitake stated, disbelieving.

Yamamoto continued on, ignoring the protests of the man he considered a son. "As a being deemed as Traitorous, so are all his relations so classified. The order for the elimination of his only confirmed relative, Kurosaki Yuzu, has been given, and we are to carry it out."

A savage snarl erupted from the throats of Komamura and Zaraki.

"We do not kill cubs," Komamura growled. "We are Shinigami, not Demons."

"Damn straight," Kenpachi ground out. "I owe Ichigo a debt. I'm not taking part in this shit." Zaraki paused, running his visible eye over his fellow Captains. "And I'm not the only one," he added.

There was a steely rasp as Byakuya drew his blade, accompanied by a lethal current that suddenly ran throughout the room.

"What is the meaning of this, Kuchiki-Taicho?" Nakamura Sachike demanded, his hand going to his blade.

"If you are deeming Kurosaki's sister a traitor to Soul Society simply by dint of relation to him, then you are surely coming for me next," Byakuya answered, his voice layered with killing intent. "As Kuchiki Clan Patriarch, my duty is to stay alive and guide the Clan. I will not allow myself to fall without an heir of my choice."

Violence was inevitable, each Captain sliding their hands to their blades. None knew where the others would stand, and the fury of the most powerful beings in Seireitei being unleashed in a small, confined room would not be a pleasant event to witness.

"HALT!" Yamamoto roared, releasing his own cloak of power, not just on Byakuya, but all of the Captains. "I will not have my Captains make a mockery of themselves and the Gotei 13!"

As each Captain slowly relaxed their grip on their blades, Byakuya sheathing his blade only when they had done so, Yamamoto revealed the extent of their orders.

"Kuchiki-Taicho was deemed loyal to the Seireitei, despite his relation to Kuchiki Rukia. Additionally, there is no _conclusive_ evidence that proves she possesses a reiatsu greater than a Vice-Captain," Yamamoto revealed. "Although some claim to have witnessed such a display of power in the incident over Karakura Town, they were outweighed by those claiming otherwise," Yamamoto finished, glaring at Hayashi Kaede and Nakajima Hayato.

As each Captain digested the information they had been given, Yamamoto relayed the end of their orders. "Kurosaki Yuzu is to be eliminated by order of the Central 46 on the charge of conspiring with a Traitorous entity. Nakajima Hayato," Yamamoto barked, startling the named man. "You are charged with carrying out these orders. _Do not exceed the limits of your authority._ You will be judged harshly if you do so."

Yamamoto surveyed the subdued room before him. Given time, several of them would argue against the orders, even rebel. For the sake of stability and the Gotei 13, he could not give them that chance.

"Dismissed!"

****

Tufts of sand were kicked up in the wake of two Vaizard as they flash stepped leisurely away from the canyon base of the Hollow opposed to Aizen. A tall, orange haired man ran abreast of a shorter, raven haired woman, their white Espada uniforms luminescent under the moonlight.

They had said their goodbyes briefly, unwilling to draw them out and guessing correctly (for the most part) that their hosts would appreciate that.

Grimmjow had merely grunted when Ichigo and Rukia had informed him of their departure, the former Sexta Espada more interested in whatever he was carving into the glass wall with his bare hands than their goodbyes. Tempest had accepted their news with good grace, giving them only a small reminder to be cautious. Bard took an evil delight in instructing the pair to relay his message word for word, before taunting 'the short white one' to get off his ass and come spar him already.

Neither Ichigo nor Rukia were looking forward to giving Toushirou that message.

Nel, as predicted, had been the hardest to say goodbye to. Unfortunately, they seemed to have caught the green-clad Espada in a frivolous mood, for she burst into tears upon hearing that they were leaving. She proceeded to beg, cajole, plead and cry for them to stay 'just one more day', before Ichigo did the unthinkable...and resorted to emotional blackmail. After calmly explaining that their other friends (Orihime in particular) would be devastated if they didn't return, and were already missing them greatly, Nel performed a complete attitude 180 and literally kicked them out of the canyon base, ordering the Vaizard pair to stop being so inconsiderate and worry their friends like that.

Nel's antics almost drove the memory of Inoue's promised welcome back kiss out of his mind. Almost.

Ichigo and Rukia were now in the progress of putting some distance between themselves and the canyon base, so as not to draw any unwarranted attention to their allies. The large hill that the anti-Aizen refuge ran through gradually grew smaller and smaller, until it was a mere blip on the horizon. When all sight of the base was gone, the lovers finally came to a halt, only slightly out of breath.

With a small glance to which he received a nod in return, Ichigo confirmed that Rukia was ready. Another small gesture, a flick of his fingers this time, and a gaping black maw yawned open before them, a portal to the world of the living. Rukia led the way, stepping forward without hesitation, each Vaizard taking comfort in the sense of presence provided by the other.

Neither noticed the flicker of movement that was the only indication that they were not alone.

**X x X**

The Garganta spewed out onto the outer city limits of Karakura Town, close to the ground in the midst of a moderately green wooded area. Rukia stepped out and away from the portal swiftly, not wishing to become pinned against it in the event of an attack. Violet eyes surveyed the landscape before her, taking in as much detail as possible.

"Everything clear?" Ichigo spoke quietly at her side. It felt strange to be back in the living world after their sojourn, brief as it was, in Hueco Mundo.

Rukia glanced at Ichigo as she began to formulate her reply. Her words died on her lips as she caught a blur of movement on the peripheral of her vision, and then she was moving instinctively.

Dropping down, Rukia swept Ichigo's legs out from under him, a shot of relief pounding through her as a bladed limb pierced the air that his head had occupied moments previous. Ichigo twisted and landed in a crouch, his hand already at Zangetsu's handle.

A large, reptilian Adjuchas landed heavily amongst the trees before them, snarling malevolently. Ichigo broke the Garganta connection with a jerk of his hand, ensuring that no more Hollow could follow them through as he assumed this one had.

Rukia blurred forward, utilising the new-found speed granted by the mastery of her inner Hollow. Sode no Shirayuki was drawn smoothly as she bore down on her foe, and Ichigo relaxed slightly, anticipating an easy victory.

He was disappointed, and slightly shocked, as the salamander-like Hollow twisted to avoid the blow, and what should have been a killing stroke merely glanced off the beasts shoulder. A pulse of dark blood splattered to the earth as the Hollow hissed in pain, glaring at Rukia as she took her stance at Ichigo's side.

Ichigo tensed, the movement barely visible to the naked eye, as he gave Rukia a curt instruction, one that was belied by the cocky smirk on his face. "Watch my back."

Rukia stuck her tongue out in retaliation even as he flash stepped towards the Adjuchas, intent on purifying the troublesome foe. A storm of reiatsu preceded his charge, kicking up dirt and dust as Rukia darted lightly around to the side, keeping her eye on the foe.

Ichigo swung Zangetsu down low, the white bandages of its sheath billowing in his wake. The Hollow moved with a speed that belied its bulky form, once again avoiding a lethal blow. Ichigo growled, incensed. If they allowed this fight to continue for much longer, other Hollow would soon be attracted by their highly charged reiatsu.

"Bakudou Shi: Hainawa!" Rukia intoned, a golden rope shooting forth from her hand to wrap itself around the Adjuchas.

The Hollow let out a savage roar as it twisted and fought against its bindings, the crawling rope beginning to fray under the strain.

Ichigo appeared at Rukia's side with the barest flicker. "Getsuga Tenshou," he whispered, swinging Zangetsu single handed.

An arc of bright light shot from the black and white blade, before sealing the Adjuchas' fate as it impacted with a crash. The Hollow barely had time to give out one last, pained roar before fading away, purified.

"Ichigo," Rukia admonished, "pay more attention to hitch hikers next time."

Ichigo smirked at their victory and Rukia's words as he fixed his zanpukutou to the baldric on his back. "Come on," he teased. "What harm could come from it?"

Rukia merely shook her head disapprovingly, fighting the beginnings of a smile that tugged at her lips.

"We need to speak to speak to Urahara," she announced, before turning on her heel and heading away from the damaged clearing, heading towards Karakura Town.

**X x X**

Ichigo should have known better than to tempt fate. Because despite the rhetoric intent of his question, Fate was listening, and fate answered. And despite the common image of Fate as a kind, benevolent woman, it can be said that her attitude is more apt to a snarling, cocky detective that took far too much pleasure in threatening punks with the barrel of his .44 revolver shoved in their face.

Somewhere in Soul Society, an alarm starting beeping shrilly, wailing to draw the attention of an operator to a slight disturbance that matched a Wanted reiatsu signature.

Do you feel lucky, Ichigo?

Well do ya...._punk_?

****

"How long has she been in there?"

Kensei turned to the short blonde at his side, before glancing at the stop-watch held loosely in his hand. "Thirty five minutes," he replied to Hiyori, before returning his gaze to the glowing orange barrier that dominated a large portion of the basement.

Piercing shrieks and muffled explosions echoed within, as Lisa faced off against a vicious, avian Hollow. The skin of the Hollow was streaked with black lines, and a pair of scaly wings were beginning to grow from her shoulders while sharp shards jutted from her elbow and knee joints. Her mask was horned, and a pair of savage tusks protruded from its chin. The entire surface of the mask was covered in a mass of constantly shifting lines; lines that grew and shrank of their own volition.

Tatsuki's berserk Hollow form gave another inhuman shriek before lunging at Lisa once more, leading with her bladed elbow. Lisa flipped backwards, allowing the Hollow form to overextend itself, before snapping a solid kick into its gut and sending it flying back into an already cracked rock, reducing it to gravel.

Arrayed outside the barrier, all those with a vested interest in Tatsuki's success were watching her progress intently. As a group, the Vaizard watched the fight in a single group, silently willing their comrade-to-be onwards. Urahara stood with Yoruichi at his side and Ururu and Jinta at his back, glittering eyes taking in as much as he could while his mind whirred and buzzed with ideas and theories, speculating on the nature of the Vaizards.

Those closest to Tatsuki stood in their own group off to the side, tense and anxious. None of them had ever seen an Inner Hollow suppression before, having only heard the bare minimum from Ichigo, and now they had watched their friends body be slowly overcome by Hollow characteristics. Ishida, Chad and Inoue stood at the front, paying no attention to Soi Fon and Hitsugaya as the two ex-Gotei Captains glanced about uneasily. Renji, for his part, stood at the back of this little group, seemingly on the verge of fleeing but unable to leave while Tatsuki was in danger.

Urahara's scheming expression faltered for a moment, before being replaced by his customary grin. Flicking his ever-present fan over his mouth, he announced, "I believe some old friends have returned."

Moments later, two familiar figures descended the portal to the basement, descending the stairs until their face came into view. Ichigo and Rukia grinned widely upon catching sight of their friends and Nakama, although their expressions became somewhat strained when they caught sight of the barrier and guessed who was within.

Despite her promises to the contrary, Inoue only managed to wave distractedly at Ichigo, testament to the strength of her friendship with Tatsuki. The rest of their assembled friends gave them a small smile or a 'welcome back' without regards to their white uniforms, but Tatsuki's progress put a damper on most of their reception.

"How is she doing?" Ichigo asked Urahara, standing to his side opposite Yoruichi.

"Thirty seven minutes and counting," Urahara replied without missing a beat. There was a short lull before the shop keeper inquired, "and how did the lovely Miss Rukia perform?"

"The lovely Miss Rukia," a frosty voice on Ichigo's other side replied before warming slightly, "did as expected."

"As expected?" Ichigo replied disbelievingly to Rukia's reply. "You were amazing!"

Kisuke and Yoruichi shared a quick grin, before Urahara mumbled something about 'informing the father' and 'shouldn't have bet against a sure thing'.

Ichigo replied with a sour look, having overheard the mutterings of his mentor, to which Urahara flicked his fan at him to reveal his smirk, showing his intention of being overheard.

"Are we going to help Renji suppress his Hollow immediately after Tatsuki, or will we pause to recover?" Rukia asked, one eye on the fight, watching as Mashiro subbed in for Lisa.

Urahara rubbed his chin speculatively. "I'm not sure. Now that you're here, and have conquered your own Hollow, we have enough power to contain Abarai-san if needs--"

A shocking blast of air and sharp gravel cut him off, accompanied by a wave of decidedly Hollow reiatsu. Ichigo barely had time to register the red glow of an incoming Cero, before flash stepping out of its path. There was a crashing roar as it impacted fully with the wall of the basement, and Ichigo could make out his fellow Vaizard and Nakama arrayed about the room with their weapons drawn.

"**I apologise. Was I supposed to wait docilely for my turn?**"

Ishida released a tsunami of small arrows, attempting to force the Hollow down. The red haired fighter gave a small 'tsk tsk' and let loose another Cero, swamping the attack.

Hollow Renji gave a mocking half-bow as his half mask began to grow slowly. "**I'd love to stay and be suppressed, but that **_**really**_** wouldn't fit in with my plans for world domination.**"

Before anyone had a chance to respond, any hint of reason disappeared from Hollow Renji's eyes to be replaced by a bestial madness. The creature gave its surroundings a quick glance before drawing Zabimaru and releasing it with a roar.

Each and every combatant with their attention on Renji prepared themselves for the berserk onslaught that they associated with a rampaging Hollow, only to be shocked when it took Renji's body and fled, up the stairs and out into the world above.

Ichigo paused, flummoxed. He had never seen a Hollow flee before, not without fighting first. Then the reality of the situation caught up with him.

A Hollow had taken control of his friend's body.

Fuck.

An Inner Hollow was currently free to rampage about Karakura Town.

Double Fuck.

An Inner Hollow was in control of his friend's body, was using it to rampage about Karakura Town, and was guaranteed to draw the attention of Soul Society, attention they had been doing their very best to avoid.

Cluster Fuck.

Without another thought, Ichigo sprang into action, pursuing the fleeing Inner Hollow with Rukia at his side and comrades at his back.

**Hope you enjoyed the belated update. And trust me, this is only the beginning of Ichigo and Rukia's worries....and we haven't even started on the sever ass kickings about to be handed out, for all sides.**


	23. Plotting to Stab a Sleeping Dragon

**Ok, I'm not sure why, but has decided it didn't like my page breaks (a series of 'XXXXXX' across the page) and no longer shows them in my previous chapters. Seeing as I'm a really lazy bastard, that's not gonna be fixed until I'm really bored. I'd say sorry....but if you pay attention, you really should be able to tell where the new scene starts. Yeah, I'm a bastard that way. New page breaks are 'X x X' or small breaks 'X'. **

**Again, sorry for the time between updates on this and other stories, but I'm having a hard time writing them. Not gonna give you any crap about writer's block, I just haven't felt like writing.**

**But hey, here's a chapter for you to enjoy. So enjoy it, dammit!!**

Ichigo burst out of the run down warehouse and took to the skies above Karakura, feeling the wind tear at his face and clothes. The berserk Hollow in control of Renji's body had already managed to put a significant amount of distance between itself and the Vaizard base...but there were few beings who could maintain a lead against Ichigo's speed.

Four more figures shot out of the warehouse in Ichigo's wake, and he risked a quick glance over his shoulder. Hitsugaya, Soi Fon, Urahara and Rukia were following closely, their eyes intent on their prey and reflecting concern, concentration, mischievousness and focus respectively.

The berserk Hollow was blasting through the skies and away from the centre of Karakura, booms of excess power trailing in its wake, leaving the pursuers desperate to contain it before the now inevitable response from Seireitei.

"We must subdue the berserker and return to the safety of the bunker immediately," Soi Fon stated in clipped tones. "The Secret Mobile Corps are no doubt mobilising as we speak."

Berserk-Renji slowed, almost to a stop, as he passed over a sparsely forested area past the outskirts of the town. Seizing the opportunity, Urahara and Rukia flash stepped ahead of the Hollow, the eccentric shopkeeper turning to lunge at their foe with his unreleased blade. Berserk-Renji released Zabimaru with a wordless scream as he prepared to meet Urahara's attack—only for Urahara to pass harmlessly by, having changed his course at the last second. Berserk-Renji had only a moment to pause in confusion, before there was a second cry.

"Mae, Sode no Shirayuki."

Without any further words, Rukia swung her blade at Berserk-Renji from a distance, a stream of ice flowing towards the Hollow. The yellow eyes hidden behind the white mask barely had time to widen in surprise before the being was consumed by the ice and trapped in place.

It seemed that the mastery of her Inner Hollow had taught Rukia a new trick or two.

The mixed group of shinigami and Vaizard paused for a moment, watching the block of ice that imprisoned Berserk-Renji. Then the ice began to crack.

Hitsugaya wasted no time in releasing his own zanpukutou wordlessly and adding another mass of ice to the prison, only succeeding in slowly Berserk-Renji down slightly. There was a single loud _crack_, before the ice prison shattered completely, revealing a slavering Hollow with a complete mask, the armour like frill framed by a mass of untied and chaotic red hair.

Ichigo wasted no time in surging forward, his still sheathed zanpukutou held firmly in his hand, and laying a single powerful blow which Berserk-Renji had little time to respond to, let alone block. The Hollow controlling Renji's body was sent flying higher into the air, where a barehanded Soi Fon was waiting.

Berserk-Renji came to a stop mid-air, snarling down at the four below him. Zabimaru was drawn back over his shoulder, ready to be whipped down towards them in retaliation when a small hand grabbed the blade by its handle. A second hand was stabbed stiffly into the base of the Hollow's neck, sending spasms through its now immobilised left arm.

Ichigo and Urahara quickly rose to surround Berserk-Renji with Soi Fon, Hitsugaya and Rukia following quickly behind them. Ignoring the Hollow roars of defiance, each fighter began watching for an opening, waiting to pounce on a chance to knock their quarry unconscious and take him back to the Vaizard base.

The sudden appearance of several full squads of Onmitsukido agents surrounding them in all directions put a slight wrench in their plans.

"I thought we would have more time," Hitsugaya remarked as he shifted his stance slightly.

"We should have," Soi Fon replied, frowning slightly. "They must have already been on their way for another matter."

Rukia recalled the small skirmish she and Ichigo had been involved in shortly after returning to the living world, a small wince crossing her features. However, she was soon distracted by the all-to-familiar grin that had appeared on Urahara's face as he considered the SMC troops surrounding them.

"I believe that I will keep our new friends entertained," the grinning shopkeeper announced. "Do you children think you can keep the Hollow busy until Abarai-san concludes his inner battle?"

There was no verbal reply, as Ichigo and Hitsugaya shared a short glance. A moment later a vicious wave of reiatsu burst from the two men, sending the SMC agents flailing through the air in all directions, with both signatures of reiatsu causing a deep chill on those affected, albeit for very different reasons.

Urahara bowed mockingly in thanks before pursuing his prey, arcs of red light issuing from his zanpukutou to herd the numerous opponents into a smaller area.

Ichigo, Rukia, Soi Fon and Hitsugaya returned their full attention to Berserk-Renji, trusting in Urahara to keep the SMC threat off their backs, and set themselves for round two as they watched their opponent flex his now completely mobile left arm. Without further warning, three of the warriors charged forwards as Rukia maintained her position and shouted a single word.

"Soukatsui!"

**X x X**

The grassy tundra was vast, with a sparse covering of dry trees. Tall and jagged mountains could be seen in the distance rising majestically into the sky, capped with snow. On the earth of the plain there numerous obsidian pillars streaked with red lightning scattered randomly about, appearing out of place against the yellow grass.

When Tatsuki had first visited her inner world, the representation of her soul had informed her that the snow on the mountains and the pillars on the plain were the result of the influence on her power by that of Rukia and Ichigo, during the time immediately before her death.

But Tatsuki wasn't interested in the particulars of her inner world. Rather, her attention was completely occupied by her pale doppleganger that was currently doing its utmost to eviscerate her. The two women moved together as if in a dance, stepping around each other in an attempt to gain an advantage, only to be countered by an opposite step from the other.

The fight was as even as possible, neither combatant able to gain the crucial advantage. Hollow Tatsuki's extra strength and power were offset by Tatsuki's tactical mind and experience with her blade, leaving them almost evenly matched.

"**Weak!**" Hollow Tatsuki screeched as they fought, driving her short blade towards Tatsuki's neck.

"Just because you can't hit me doesn't mean I'm weak," Tatsuki taunted in return. Her Inner Hollow did not deign to reply, opting instead to conserve her breath for their fight.

Frustrated at the apparent stalemate, a cruel smirk crossed Hollow Tatsuki's face as a way to tip the scales in her favour crossed her mind. Aiming a snap-kick towards Tatsuki's midsection that was meant to be blocked, Hollow Tatsuki pushed herself back, giving herself space for her next move. A score of heavy daggers were forged and sent flying towards Tatsuki, giving the shinigami only the barest of seconds to flash step out of their path.

There was a blast that left Tatsuki with ringing ears as the explosive projectiles impacted with the ground upon which she had been standing moments before. Debris was thrown up into the sky, obscuring Tatsuki's vision and causing her to flash step around rapidly, so as not to give her Inner Hollow the opportunity to ambush her within the dust.

When the haze cleared, Tatsuki's eyes narrowed and her grip on her zanpukutou tightened.

Standing before her was her Inner Hollow, but with a crucial difference. Instead of mirroring her own appearance, a white doppleganger of Soi Fon now stood before her, smirking at her reaction.

"**What do you think?**" Hollow Tatsuki asked in a faux innocent tone, suddenly switching her appearance from that of Soi Fon to Yoruichi and then back again. "**Like the new look?**"

Tatsuki snarled and flung herself forwards, closing the distance between them rapidly. Her Inner Hollow was ready, catching Tatsuki's blade on her own and shifting her knee to block a low kick. Twelve blows were traded in the space of four seconds, from both hand and blade, before the foes separated once more and began to circle warily, Hollow Tatsuki once more wearing Yoruichi's face.

Without warning, Hollow Tatsuki's appearance shifted once more, this time reducing in stature to resemble Rukia. She swept forward with a flurry of blows from her hands, feet and elbows, only using her blade to block the few counters from Tatsuki's own. Tatsuki struggled to respond to the new height of her opponent, finding it difficult to adjust her attacks to suit.

There was another morph, and suddenly a Hollow Ichigo was snarling in her face. Tatsuki elbowed him solidly in the jaw, relishing the crack that signaled its dislocation.

They each sprang back once more, one to gain their breath, the other to evaluate their injury. With a wrench, Hollow Tatsuki forced her jawbone back into place, her appearance as Ichigo's Inner Hollow wavering for several moments.

Another wave of daggers were sent flying towards Tatsuki, which the aspiring Vaizard dodged almost complacently. Her complacency cost her, however, when Hollow Tatsuki backhanded her viciously, having moved to where Tatsuki would appear immediately after she had made her attack. Tatsuki was sent flying into an obsidian pillar, red lightening streaking out from the impact point for less than a second before the pillar itself cracked and collapsed into a pile of rubble.

Hollow Tatsuki, once again in her true form screeched victoriously from an airborne position. "**Pathetic virgin shinigami!**"

There was a blur, and then Tatsuki had her Inner Hollow by the throat and was hurling her back to the earth. She watched in satisfaction as the Hollow shattered through the main trunk of a desert tree that was in her path without slowing, before being ploughed into the ground, leaving a long furrow in her wake.

"Fucking albino bitch!"

**X**

Watching soberly from outside the barrier in the real world, Kensei hit a button on the stopwatch he held loosely in his hand and gestured to Shinji. Without needing to be told, Hachi snapped his fingers and a small doorway appeared in the golden glowing barrier, through which a short girl with blonde pigtails back flipped through to avoid a number of small white projectiles. Kensei watched as Shinji stepped through the portal almost casually, as if he weren't about to do battle with a berserk Hollow in control of an ally's body.

Checking his stopwatch, Kensei marked the time. 50:07. Just under twenty minutes left until the woman reached the same time taken as Kurosaki.

**X x X**

Abarai Renji came to in the middle of a clearing in a humid tropical rainforest, steam rising from a small pool of water nearby. All around was the sound of jungle life, the sound of small animals moving through the brush, of a light shower of rain pattering down upon the large leaves of the trees.

Renji rose to his feet smoothly, recognizing his inner world for what it was. He glanced over his shoulder, searching for the smooth log that Zabimaru would pace along as he gave his lectures, only to find it vacant. Frowning slightly, it took Renji several moments to put the pieces together. He had been asking about how they were going to subdue his Inner Hollow....and then suddenly he was here, with Zabimaru missing.

Right. If the eloquent bastard who sought dominion over his soul wanted a fight, he'd damn well give him one.

Renji was surprised to find the physical representation of Zabimaru at his hip, although it lacked its normal comforting sense of presence. Regardless, he drew it smoothly and slipped into a ready stance as he began to prowl through the dense greenery.

The fauna native to his inner world provided commentary as Renji slipped easily through the fauna, testament to the many weeks spent training his mind to recognise the details of said world intimately. He passed colossal trees, stepping warily around the hissing of snakes that hid within their roots, and stepped carefully over a fallen tree that spanned a river, ignoring the frothing mass of carnivorous that seethed below him.

Obstacles arose, and were passed. If there were a being in the position to observe Renji's progress, they would assume that he was lost in the jungle, wandering aimlessly. They would be right about one part. Renji was quite lost, yet he was not wandering aimlessly. The only way to reach any destination within his inner world was to allow himself to become lost, and then to avoid and survive all the dangers that were brought on by his mere presence. It was a method that toughened and refined his body, promoting the survival of the fittest.

Finally, Renji broke through to the edge of a clearing...a clearing eerily similar to the one he had first awoken in. Despite the similarities, there was a sense of wrongness in the air, a sense that was reflected by the environment.

Where the steaming pool of clear water had been, there now rested a murky basin heavy with the scent of sulfur, a number of dead plants and dying insect life at its edge. Vines that hung from the trees draped over Renji's shoulders and sought for a chance to constrict around his body.

The source of the contamination sat easily on the log that his own Zabimaru had occupied so many times in the past; only this being sat cross-legged rather than pacing on all fours. Its eyes were closed , and he appeared to be meditating as he waited. Without giving any other indication that it had registered his presence, the eyes of Renji's Inner Hollow snapped open and a dark smile crossed his face.

"**It's good to see you....Renji.**"

**X x X**

"Yare yare, we _are_ an incompetent bunch of SMC agents, aren't we?" Urahara shook his head disapprovingly, in between bouts of maniacal laughter.

The incompetents in question were doing their best to subdue the eccentric shopkeeper, only to be repeatedly foiled as he shepherded them away from the fight between Berserk-Renji, Hitsugaya, Soi Fon, Rukia and Ichigo. So far, the SMC agents had remained silent, refusing to rise to Urahara's baiting. The man's attitude was legend in the SMC, even after nigh on a century of absence.

"Have you considered trying to sneak past me while some of your friends attack me?" Urahara inquired politely, ignoring the hostile gazes he was receiving.

The SMC agents swarmed forwards once more, utilising the prescribed tactic to deal with an opponent of superior power. Urahara gave a small giggle (although later he would vehemently deny this, calling it instead a snicker) and leapt up to gain altitude, before springing forward and landing on the head of each of his opponents in turn, using them as mobile stepping stones.

"Perhaps you could try sneaking up on Kurosaki-san? Lord knows his sensing abilities leave much to be desired."

A figure clothed in black fatigues appeared behind Urahara and swept a small dagger towards his neck, grinning viciously when the dagger severed the spinal cord at the base of his neck. His elation turned to dismay when the body of his foe let out a rude sound and began to...deflate?

"Oh, I'm glad you like it!" Urahara exclaimed as he pirouetted several metres away. "It's an inflatable gigai. They usually take a while to set up, but I figured that whilst dealing with someone of _your_ talents..." Urahara trailed off with a self satisfied smirk that he quickly concealed behind his fan.

The SMC operative who been tricked by the inflatable gigai gave an inarticulate howl before charging at Urahara, failing to notice the hand that slipped his fan into his loose shirt, before shifting into a rigid, blade-like shape.

Even the more hardened members of the numerous Onmitsukido squads present winced as Urahara plunged his hand through the enraged agents neck, before examining the man's expression as he choked and died.

Urahara snapped his arm down, hurling the corpse down several hundred feet where it crashed through a tree before impacting with the ground. He shook his head as he made a tutting noise. "Soi Fon would never have allowed her troops to fall to this condition. Standards must really be lax under your new Captain," he mused.

The SMC squads began to maneuver themselves into a position to neutralise their target once more, only to quail as their target shed the persona of Urahara the quirky shopkeeper, and assume the shroud of Urahara Kisuke, a man to be feared and never crossed.

Nearby, a more serious engagement was occurring. The berserk form of Renji had further succumbed to the Hollowfication process, gaining a number of spines along its back, as well as several blade-like edges protruding from its elbows. The exposed flesh of its head was completely concealed by a mask that wrapped fully around its head, leaving Renji's red hair to spill out over the gap that circled the crown of his head.

While at first it had appeared eager to flee Karakura's boundaries, Berserk-Renji was now doing its best to return to the city, snarling and roaring as its attempts were blocked repeatedly by Ichigo and his allies. Time and time again, the Hollow would make a break for an open space, only to crash into a solid wave of ice created by Hitsugaya, or stumble and hiss in pain as it was caught by a Bakudou and Hadou Kido from Rukia.

Throughout it all, Ichigo was toe-to-toe with the beast, trading savage blows evenly as Soi Fon circled the two heavy fighters with sharp eyes, just waiting for an opening. A released Zabimaru crashed against Zangetsu, sending sparks flying. The two combatants struggled against each other for a moment; Ichigo ignoring the drool and harsh snarling from Berserk-Renji, before they pushed back only to circle swiftly and crash together once more.

This time, as the two blades met, Soi Fon took her chance. Appearing directly behind Berserk-Renji as he strained against Ichigo, she brought her hand down in a bladed chop at the base of the Hollow's neck, cracking the white Hollow armour that protected that area.

Berserk-Renji gave a roar of pain as he spun around to swat this new attacker, only to see Soi Fon smirk as she flash stepped just out of reach. He brought Zabimaru back over his shoulder, intending to send the snake-like blade whipping towards her, only to feel his own blade driven against his back as Zangetsu slammed into it.

Soi Fon, seeing another advantage, decided to grab it with both hands and darted forwards to pin Berserk-Renji's arms and trap him in place between herself and Ichigo. At the same time, multiple low leveled binding Kido's were placed on the Hollow, courtesy of Rukia.

Berserk-Renji gave a guttural laugh at their efforts, and flexed his reiatsu. Soi Fon was blown back along with the Kido binding him, giving the Hollow the opportunity to turn and deal Ichigo a stunning backhanded blow that resulted in a gash across his forehead that began to bleed heavily.

Cursing heavily, Ichigo shifted his blade to his left hand and held his right in a clawed shape, aimed squarely at Berserk-Renji. Ignoring the fact that he had neglected to form his mask, Ichigo chanted two words.

"Cero Susurro."

**X x X**

Nakajima Hayato, 5th Squad Captain, padded quickly through the hall of the 2nd Division Headquarters. He ignored the bustle of efficiency around him as men dashed to and fro to get to their posts against the background of the blaring klaxon that signified a high level Hollow threat at an important location in the living world. The vain man almost indulged in a smirk. This opportunity was just too good to pass up.

Sliding open an ornate door, Nakajima stepped into the office of the 2nd Squad Captain, Nakamura Sachike, where he found the man in question reading intelligence reports at his desk, as well as the 2nd Squad's lieutenant at a smaller desk organising the reports, whose name he wasn't inclined to remember. After all, he was a Captain of the Gotei 13, and couldn't be expected to bother with such trivialities.

"Nakajima-Taicho," Sachike stated without looking up from the reports on his desk. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Why yes, there is actually," Nakajima replied, a smug grin tugging on his face. "I was wondering if you could keep a certain someone occupied during this mission of yours for me, while I do a bit of business on the side."

The faint sound of Sachike's brush died away. "A certain someone," he replied without inflection. "Who?"

"Who do you think?" Nakajima snorted derisively. "Kurosaki, of course."

"No."

There was silence for a moment.

"I beg your pardon?" Nakajima's tone was hard.

"No," Sachike repeated. "I shall not have my squad foot the butcher's bill as a distraction and the eventual targets of Kurosaki's vengeance. The cost and time involved in training their replacements is prohibitive."

"I'm sorry," Nakajima spat, discarding his calm appearance as his face began to redden, "you must be under the assumption that you have a choice in the matter. You _will _engage Kurosaki Ichigo, and you _will_ keep him engaged until my target is dead. Do you understand me?"

Sachike became very still, his mind choosing and discarding tactics swiftly. There had been a lull in the maneuvering between the Kagai Captains brought about by their entrance into the Gotei 13, but it appeared that the lull was over. "I understand," he stated finally. Oh, he understood. He knew where Nakajima's orders came from, and he would not go against the Lady or the Lords, but there was nothing in his orders preventing him from informing Kurosaki as to the identity of the man who would attack his family.

He was the leader of the Onmitsukido and the 2nd Division of the Gotei 13, not some underling conveniently offered up to bear the brunt of Kurosaki Ichigo's revenge.

Nakajima smiled at Sachike's submission whilst guessing accurately at his thought processes, knowing it would help him in his own mission. "Good."

Neither man noticed just how intently Marechiyo was listening from his desk in the corner of the room. The 2nd Division Fukutaicho did not appreciate being underestimated, and he detested being ignored.

He would teach them the folly of ignoring an Omaeda.

**X x X**

Hirako Shinji batted Hollow Tatsuki's blade away, seemingly with ease, before backhanding the berserker solidly across the face, cracking its mask in the process. The attack sent Hollow Tatsuki crashing into an already shattered pile of rocks, burying her beneath the rubble.

With a screech, Hollow Tatsuki got to her feet and shook herself, sending gravel flying from the folds of her clothes and the grooves in her Hollow skin. Instead of attacking immediately however, Hollow Tatsuki hunched over, shuddering as her screech continued. Shinji paused, half-expecting the reemergence of Tatsuki, victorious after her Inner Battle, only to be disappointed when his opponent threw her arms open wide as she straightened, her spine arching back.

Two shards of white bone erupted from Hollow Tatsuki's back, stretched to the sides as if they were wings—wings lacking skin, bone and feather.

Looking over the additions to Hollow Tatsuki's form appraisingly, Shinji set himself in what looked to be a relaxed stance to those not familiar with his fighting style. The leader of the Vaizard's could feel the end of the battle drawing near, and he wasn't about to falter now. With a smirk, he tore his mask into existence and turned the full power of his gaze upon his foe.

**X x X**

Nakamura Sachike stood at the head of close to half of the Secret Mobile Corps, waiting stoically for the opening of a Senkei Gate to the world of the living. The several hundred men behind him were equally quiet, while Nakajima Hayato stood at Sachike's side, shifting his weight from foot to foot impatiently. The silence was broken only by the loud munching noises coming from the 2nd Division Lieutenant, as Omaeda did his very best to unobtrusively spray his superiors with soggy cracker fragments.

Quickly growing irritated by the munching sounds coming from the uncultured fukutaicho behind him, Nakajima opted to break the silence, stroking his finely trimmed beard as he did so. "So, you know your orders?"

Sachike closed his eyes and exhaled quietly in a silent show of annoyance. "Subdue and capture all participants of the fight occurring above Karakura Town. Execution authorised on those whom capture is deemed improbable with current manpower." He opened his eyes and turned his gaze on Nakajima before continuing, "I am no green recruit, Nakajima Taicho. Are you aware of _your_ orders?"

Nakajima ignored the implied slight—or perhaps it never occurred to him—and smirked as he recalled his orders. "Kill the target, make it bloody, display the body if possible, leave Kurosaki confused as to who is actually responsible. Easy. For a man of _my_ skills, what could go wrong?"

Sachike merely turned his eyes to the front and shook his head slowly, wondering if Nakajima had ever heard of something called Murphy's Law.

The glow of the Senkei Gate suddenly illuminated the courtyard they waited in, and Sachike banished all thoughts save those related to the upcoming mission from his mind.

**X x X**

Ichigo continued to trade blow for blow with Berserk Renji, attempting to maneuver himself into position to deliver another Cero Sussuro. His personalised Cero had caused his foe great pain and slowed him considerably—up until a moderately fast regeneration had come into effect, resulting in lines of white Hollow skin stretching across his skin.

Urahara had grown tired of his game with the SMC, opting instead to send his opponents through some strange portal, muttering to himself all the while, words like 'experimental', 'unsure stability', 'multiple pieces' and 'limb reattachment' floating on the wind to reach Rukia and Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya surveyed their surroundings, newly cleared of smaller irritants. "We should move this fight back to the underground. We have remained exposed in the open for too long now," he stated.

"Oh, I don't believe we have anything to gain by returning to our secret base," Urahara remarked airily.

"The Seireitei hasn't detected us?" Rukia remarked with surprise, most of her attention still on the continuing fight between Ichigo and Berserk Renji.

"Oh no, they've detected us, have no fear of that," Urahara remarked in a carefree manner. "I'm just stating that returning with Renji to our base will be of no benefit to us. Not when Soul Society have just dispatched their forces to our location."

Hitsugaya stared at Urahara, slightly unnerved. "How do you _know _these things?"

The eccentric shopkeeper merely shrugged as he whipped out his fan once more, hiding a devious smirk. "I have my ways."

A dry, feminine voice cut across their conversation. "He means he saw the Senkei gate form a few hundred metres behind you."

Hitsugaya turned, catching sight of the two women who were now standing between their position and the recently formed Senkei Gate.

"Shihouin-san! Tatsuki!" Rukia exclaimed, before grinning widely. "You conquered your Inner Hollow?"

Tatsuki returned her friend's grin openly, if a bit tiredly. "Of course I did. That bitch doesn't have anything on me."

"The Vaizard and your Nakama will be remaining underground," Yoruichi announced. "The politics of this situation are muddled enough as it is, and we don't need to let the Central 46 know that they are still in Karakura Town."

"Where is Soi Fon?" Hitsugaya inquired, slightly puzzled about her absence.

Yoruichi's response was a grin and a wink. "Oh, she's around," she teased.

There was a faint sounding of a bell, and then a storm of Hell Butterflies streaked through the air. Conversation was cut short as the Senkei Gate opened and widened in one movement, allowing for ranks ten wide to pass through. Several hundred black-clad figures blurred by as they spread out and hid, taking positions around the battlefield. Remaining at the exit of the Senkei Gate were the familiar figures of Nakamura Sachike, the Kagai 2nd Squad Captain, and Omaeda Marechiyo, 2nd Division Lieutenant.

Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi, Hitsugaya Toushirou and Kuchiki Rukia stared the newcomers down across the open sky, paying only the barest of attention to the continued slogging match between Ichigo and Berserk Renji. None of them noticed the hidden reiatsu of Nakajima Hayato, the Kagai 5th Squad Captain, as he quietly left the impending battlefield to seek out his own assignment, lost as his signature was amongst those of the five hundred Onmitsukido members.

"Shall we dance, my lady?" Urahara bowed politely towards Yoruichi as he adopted the air of a posturing courtier.

"But of course, my lord," Yoruichi simpered back in a manner entirely unsuited to her.

Used to their antics, their three companions merely rolled their eyes, although in Hitsugaya's case he may have only twitched, the movement was so slight. After exchanging another exasperated eye roll over Hitsugaya's need to act seriously at all times, Rukia and Tatsuki turned their attention on the nearest cluster of SMC agents, wearing identical evil grins.

You could almost pity the poor men in the moment they realised that the ire of the two dark haired women was focused solely upon them. But that was only before remembering that they brought this upon themselves, of course.

Unmatched in numbers, but close to equal in power, each side seemed to pause as they took a deep breath before the storm of battle....

…..and then all were shocked in place as a detonation of harsh red reiatsu that warred with midnight black exploded from the sky at the heart of the duel between Ichigo and Berserk Renji.

**Well, this is out now. Took me a while. Lots of things happened since the last chapter. I graduated, got my OP, submitted my application for Uni, got a new job (or have I already told you that?) and generally had a blast. Now that you've read and enjoyed (hopefully), please Review!**

**Also, since this has been written in a rather staggered fashion, please tell me if I've contradicted myself or not made sense. Cause I do that from time to time.**


	24. Stabbing a Sleeping Dragon

_Unmatched in numbers, but close to equal in power, each side seemed to pause as they took a deep breath before the storm of battle...._

…_..and then all were shocked in place as a detonation of harsh red reiatsu that warred with midnight black exploded from the sky at the heart of the duel between Ichigo and Berserk Renji._

Yet the shock did not last. Two bodies were hurled out of the dome of warring reiatsu in opposite directions, each of them bearing sears that marked the points where their opponent's reiatsu had burned their human flesh and hollow skin.

Berserk Renji flipped itself awkwardly, managing to land on its feet despite the lingering burns—burns that were quickly healed and consumed by high speed hollow regeneration, covering the last of Renji's clear skin. The only resemblance that the Berserker maintained to its host was its hair; the hair and the released blade of Zabimaru held tightly in its grip.

Ichigo was much more fortunate in his landing, finding himself perched in a tree with only a number of small lacerations on his arms and legs in addition to the reiatsu burn across his upper left chest to show for his battle. He winced as he readjusted his grip on Zangetsu and glared balefully at Berserk Renji. The Hollow was a power house, not relying on special techniques or supplementing its attacks with Shinigami abilities—it was holding its own against Ichigo based on sheer power.

Without being able to end the fight with a killing blow, and having everything else shrugged off, Ichigo was unsure how long he could keep his battle of attrition going—but he wasn't going to let that stop him from going all out and pounding the bastard into the ground. Renji was tough, he could deal with a couple of life threatening injuries.

Besides, it was his fault for taking so damn long to suppress his Hollow. And if anyone wanted to bring up how long he'd taken to defeat his own, well, it wasn't the same, damn it!

**X**

The dramatic exit of Ichigo and Berserk Renji from the dome of red and black reiatsu had triggered a flurry of action amongst the combatants overhead. Without a word, Urahara had rather gleefully sent a red blast of energy towards a group of SMC who were clustered just a little bit too close.

"Never provide the enemy an easy target!" Urahara called rather seriously, cupping his free hand around his mouth. "You never know when some brilliant, exiled genius will take advantage of it!"

Yoruichi seemed to ricochet off several front runners on her way to Urahara's immediate side, leaving a number of unconscious agents in her wake. "Careful Kisuke," she teased, "one would think you were calling yourself a brilliant, exiled genius."

"Yoruichi, how could you?" Urahara exclaimed with a woebegone expression. "I can return to Seireitei whenever I want! How could they possibly confuse a brilliant genius like myself with an unnamed brilliant, exiled genius?"

Not even the famous Shihouin Yoruichi, Goddess of Flash and Urahara's personal ego-deflater could come up with a response to that. Making the only reply that seemed adequate to her, Yoruichi deftly stole Urahara's fan and began to wield it like a weapon, seemingly deaf to Urahara's sudden pleas for mercy and promises of eternal servitude, if only she would return his Precious....fan.

Faced with the antics of Urahara and Yoruichi, Rukia and Tatsuki wasted no time in getting back to back and setting their stances, letting the released forms of Shirayuki and Kagemusha do the talking for them—and their message was loud and clear. Fuck Off, Or Suffer Great Pain.

Sadly, none of the Onmitsukido agents seemed to be receiving the message. In short order, Rukia and Tatsuki established a number of very good reasons as to why you never screw with a pair of pissed off young women with blades, Hollow powers, and the ability to blast a hole through your chest with a gesture and a few words.

Of the final two fugitives, one had slipped out of sight moments before the arrival of the SMC and the other was considering the pros and cons of freezing as opposed to slashing. In the end, Hitsugaya decided to go for a combination of the two—he would target a number of his foes, freeze as many as he could, and then hack, cut, and otherwise eviscerate those whom he missed.

While her allies were enjo—dealing with the foot soldiers, Soi Fon had another target in her sights. Two targets, actually. The first, her ex-Lieutenant, simply because she could. The second, her replacement, the slimy Nakamura Sachike. The man wasn't fit to be a ranked officer, let alone hold the 1st Seat of the 2nd Squad _and_ the title of Commander of the Secret Mobile Corps—titles that had belonged to her, and before that, to Yoruichi-sama.

Soi Fon's eyes narrowed in anger. Their last fight had ended in a draw. That was unacceptable. She was going to enjoy her retribution.

**X x X**

Zabimaru whipped through the air, curving around the trunk of the great tree Renji stood on to reach his opponent. His attack was batted aside by an inversed Zabimaru while its wielder surveyed him with a contemptuous smirk.

"**Come and play, Renji,**" Hollow Renji mocked. "**I do so love our games.**"

Renji replied with a snarl as he pursued his Inner Hollow further up the immense tree, leaping from limb to limb in his chase. His Hollow had been almost toying with him, staying on the defensive and refusing to make an outright attack of his own. Zabimaru snaked out once more, only to be foiled once more by an equal attack by its counterpart.

"Bastard," Renji swore, his pace not faltering.

Hollow Renji raised an eyebrow, his voice remaining even, as though he was standing still and not leaping from limb to limb on a massive tree. "**You don't truly expect these attacks to have any effect, do you Renji?**" Hollow Renji chided. "**You must know that any attack met by an equal and opposite force is negated.**"

Renji raised his own eyebrow as he attacked yet again with Zabimaru. "You know what?" he asked rhetorically. "Fuck you!"

Hollow Renji shook his head disapprovingly, "**manners!**"

Taking advantage of his opponent's mocking, Renji sent Zabimaru flying towards Hollow Renji—only for his attack to fly clear over his opponent's shoulder without the Hollow having to move at all.

"**And such poor aim. Perhaps I will be doing your friends a favour by taking over? At least then they shall have a reliable ally.**"

Renji gave a bloodthirsty smirk before making his reply. "Think again, arsehole," he taunted.

Hollow Renji had the barest of moments to ponder his host's words before his instincts screamed at him to move. He leapt off the wide branch he stood on, using his inversed Zabimaru to anchor himself to the branch and his momentum to swing himself back up around to the next perch.

His move was made at the last possible second. Had he remained in place for one moment longer, the head of the true Zabimaru would have caved the back of his head in and left him a submissive prisoner to the King. As it was, his white ponytail was the only casualty, whatever force of nature that held it up having been disrupted by its contact with the attack, leaving his hair to fall down about his shoulders.

Renji hastily pulled Zabimaru back; on its current path it would have impacted with his body to unpleasant results. He still managed to tear a large gouge through the base of the branch. Regardless, Renji jumped forward to land solidly on the damaged perch.

"Good enough aim to make you sweat," Renji replied, continuing the earlier line of taunts.

"**Sweat?**" Hollow Renji asked mildly. "**Have you seen your Inner World? Sweating is what we do.**"

Rather than losing his temper as Hollow Renji anticipated, a devious smirk appeared on Renji's face. Drawing his right arm back, Renji prepared to launch Zabimaru again, causing Hollow Renji to sight as he prepared to dodge the slashing attack.

He was caught unprepared, however, when Renji pointed his left hand at him, and the smirk became a full blown shit eating grin.

"Byakurai!"

Hollow Renji cursed as the white lightning surged past him—but for Renji's poor aim, the Kido could have done considerable damage. As it was, it still managed to rip a gouge across his upper arm; thankfully it was his off hand.

"**Kido?**" Hollow Renji asked in a deceptively calm voice, although he came dangerously close to a sneer. "**You must be des--**"

"Shakkahou!"

Hollow Renji chose to dodge, rather than rely on Renji's poor aim once more. He needn't have bothered, as the Kido blew up spectacularly in Renji's face, resulting in a thick black cloud of smoke.

"**Now Renji,**" Hollow Renji lectured. "**You need to modera--**"

"Shakkahou!" Renji leaped from the black cloud, a blast of red fire erupting from his left hand. The chase resumed, Hollow Renji leading Renji further in and higher up the great tree, deeper into his Inner World. Renji proved tenacious in his use of Kido despite it backfiring as often as not, and Hollow Renji found himself without a counter. A Cero, while instinctive, took too long to charge up, whereas a Bala, while certainly fast enough, had to be learned.

"Shakkahou!"

"**Stop that!**"

"Shakkahou!"

"**I'm serious, Renji!**"

"Shakkahou!"

"**I'm getting irritated!**"

"Shakkahou!"

"**You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.**"

"Shakkahou!"

"**Goddamit Ren--**"

"Shakkahou!"

"**--ji, stop throwing--**"

"Shakkahou!"

"**--fucking fireballs at me!**"

"SHAKKAHOU!!"

A fireball far exceeding any of Renji's previous attacks shot towards Hollow Renji's position. The Hollow was in mid-air, lacking the time to change his direction. He brought his inversed Zabimaru to bear, intending to block as much of the blast as he could and hope that he could still see well enough to block his host's inevitable follow up.

He was, however, saved once more by Renji's lack of skill in Kido. The engorged Shakkahou detonated prematurely, gouging a chunk out of the main tree trunk and sending large splinters flying haphazardly through the air.

Hollow Renji landed on a broad branch and gave out a small sigh. "**I did ask you to stop,**" he commented to no one in particular.

His offhand attitude was disrupted when Zabimaru snaked out of the smoke and coiled around his body, pining his arms to his side. The whip like blade began to constrict.

Hollow Renji regarded his host with a seemingly curious expression. "**You do know that you lack the strength to squeeze me to death?**"

Renji ignored him and began mumbling to himself under his breath. "...bones of a beast...red crystal..."

Hollow Renji paused, recognising the chant. "**You are aware that you lack the skills to pull that off?**"

"...make wind....calm...warring spears....empty castle..."

Hollow Renji was becoming slightly nervous by this point. "**You've never actually tried this before,**" he pointed out unhelpfully.

"Hadou Rokujuusan--"

"**You're going to damage the baboon and snake too,**" Hollow Renji added with a concerned tone, in a last ditch attempt to persuade Renji to stop.

"I'm counting on it," Renji answered cryptically with a feral grin. "RAIKOUHOU!!"

An arc of erratic golden lighting surged out from Renji's hands before impacting with the restrained Hollow Renji with a roar. The resulting explosion rent Zabimaru asunder and burnt a path halfway through the trunk on which they were fighting.

When the smoke cleared, a dirty and grimacing Hollow Renji was revealed. His white hair was plastered across his face, concealing one golden yellow iris from sight. "**So you were capable,**" he spoke, somehow maintaining his calm facade as he watched Renji shake out his slightly lacerated hand. "**But now you are unarmed and I am annoyed.**"

Renji grew focused, causing his opponent to tense, preparing for another ill-advised Kido attack, despite the nagging feeling that he was missing something.

"Higa Zekkou!"

Hollow Renji attempted to Sonido out of harms way in the scant seconds provided, but found himself trapped. He twisted desperately, dodging all but two of the separated and shattered portions of Zabimaru. The first blade lanced through the muscle of his shoulder, the second through the meat of his thigh, both sending waves of pain emanating from the wounds. Hollow Renji straightened from his perch on the branch that was now creaking dangerously, disregarding his pain and instability of his location.

Snarling, all vestiges of his calm, urbane politeness gone, Hollow Renji leveled a murderous glare at his host and uttered one word, finally taking the weak, red headed ape before him seriously.

"_**Bankai**_**.**"

**X x X**

Ichigo and Berserk Renji were trading heavy blows in the close confines of the forest, each doing their best to overcome their foe. The white bandage of Zangetsu whipped about them, and it was a testament to Ichigo's skill and Berserk Renji's madness that the Vaizard had not been forced into the use of his Bankai—yet. Ichigo was bruised and somewhat battered, whilst Berserk Renji had become completely Hollowfied, reveling in the power provided by its scaled, almost dinosaur like skin and sheer strength.

Higher in the sky, the SMC agents were all in some state or rage—a unique rage that came from their opponent ignoring them, _as they fought_, to talk to their comrade about the results of a training program, or the grocery list.

It was Urahara, of course.

"So, Yoruichi-san," Urahara began politely, clipping an opponent in the temple while driving his foot into the gut of another, "care to enlighten me to the mystery that is Arisawa-san's mask?"

Yoruichi smirked as she spun in a full revolution on her hands, her feet knocking into the four SMC agents surrounding her. "You'll just have to wait and see, Kisuke," she replied in a carefree voice, knowing full well how much her easy banter with Urahara was infuriating their foes.

Elsewhere, Soi Fon was advancing on her ex-lieutenant and her replacement with impunity, having assaulted an SMC agent and stolen her combat fatigues, leaving her unconscious and wearing naught but her armour and underclothes in the forest below, away from the fight between Ichigo and Renji. It would be embarrassing for the woman to return to the 2nd Squad dressed as she was, but in Soi Fon's mind it was justified by her inattentiveness to allow Soi Fon to sneak up on her, regardless of the fact that she used to be the Captain of her division.

"You have something to report?" Sachike, her replacement, asked as Soi Fon appeared in a flicker of Shunpo, kneeling before him. It was a testament to her skills that he failed to sense her reiatsu signature.

"Yes," Soi Fon replied. Without further talk, Soi Fon surged into motion, delivering a stiff armed palm to Omaeda's chin, knocking him out cold. The attack had taken less than a second from implementation to execution, and yet as Soi Fon turned to deal with Sachike, he had already drawn his zanpukutou and was moving to attack her with it.

Soi Fon delivered a sharp blow to his wrist, knocking his attempted stab off course, before moving in closer still and raining blow after blow down upon him. In such close quarters, the advantage given by Sachike's blade was removed, forcing him to attempt to put some distance between himself and his attacker. A wordless Byakurai was enough to gain the distance and cause Soi Fon to flip back to avoid the attack.

"Soi Fon," Sachike growled.

"In the flesh," Soi Fon replied coldly as she removed the mask from her face and slipped into a guard stance.

"Tear and conceal, Biribiri Yaiba."

"And that is why you do not deserve your position," Soi Fon announced coldly. "You use your zanpukutou like a crutch and not an extension of the weapon that is your body." Her eyes narrowed as she delivered her promise, "I am going to educate you in the error of your thinking."

Nakamura Sachike prepared himself, confident in his abilities to take the woman before him who insisted on handing him an advantage by fighting unarmed. However, his confidence took a slight hit in the wake of her next statement.

"Shunko!"

**X**

On another part of the battlefield, Rukia and Toushirou were directing swathes of ice to consume the SMC squads surrounding them as they tried to subdue the two ice wielders, while Tatsuki darted in and out of their ranks delivering quick, crippling blows, targeting muscle groups and tendons.

The number of enemies opposing them was dropping, but there was still hundreds more. The battle would not be over quickly.

**X x X**

Nakajima Hayato strode across the landscape, his speed reducing his surroundings to a blur. His toes were brushing across the ground as he kept his altitude low and his reiatsu suppressed in an attempt to remain undetected.

Hayato pondered his plan of action once he reached the Kurosaki residence. He always like to have things planned out in advance, as much as possible in any case. It gave him more time to make sure his victims understood just how utterly outclassed they were.

Would he slice the girl open without warning, spilling her blood during the afternoon meal? Or perhaps he would reveal himself to them first, binding them in place, and then decapitate the target?

He was forbidden from killing the other members of Kurosaki's family, the old man had seen to that. But that only meant he couldn't touch them, there was nothing that prevented him from killing the girl in as vicious a way as possible....after all, there was nothing like a little psychological trauma to circumvent that restriction.

There would be a compromise, he decided. He would drag it out for a time, but not long enough to risk the Kurosaki brat returning and attempting to prevent the inevitable.

Hayato smiled sadistically to himself. It was missions like these that made him glad he had accepted the Central 46's offer to escape from the Maggot's Nest and join their Kagai 13.

**X x X**

Kyouraku stepped along the path to his oldest friend's private residence, an uncharacteristically serious look upon his face. He had arranged to meet Ukitake and Byakuya as soon as they were able, and the news he carried with him had the potential to affect the state of Seireitei for the next century.

Disregarding courtesy, Kyouraku opened the sliding door that led to the sitting room of Ukitake's house, interrupting the conversation of the two men before him.

"If we cannot find an effective way of neutralising the Triumvirate short of assassination, then we must--" Byakuya broke off as Kyouraku opened the door.

"We have bigger problems," Kyouraku explained to the questioning stares of Byakuya and Ukitake.

Seeing the seriousness of his closest friend's expression, Ukitake dropped his kindly demeanor. "Explain," he requested forcefully.

"I broke into the Central 46 chambers today," Kyouraku stated simply.

"Have you taken leave of your senses?" Byakuya inquired mildly, although internally he was simmering at the action.

"The plan to assassinate Kurosaki Yuzu is being executed as we speak."

Ukitake and Byakuya were stunned into silence. They had taken steps to avoid this situation, as had the Soutaicho.

"I spoke to Genryuusai on this matter not two days ago," Ukitake muttered. "He informed me he was looking in to the matter."

"It would appear that he has not," Byakuya commented.

"Duty has always come first to Yama-jii," Kyouraku added somewhat sadly. "The Central 46 have stonewalled him and the old man isn't about to pull an Aizen."

Ukitake considered the information for several minutes, running over the possibilities in his head. "What are our options?" he asked finally.

"Unless we intend on becoming just another three powerful fugitives from Seireitei, there isn't anything we can do," Kyouraku stated with a frown.

"There is only one action we can take, one we must take if we want to survive," Byakuya spoke, gazing out through the open door. "We need to prepare our squads for Kurosaki's onslaught and hope there isn't one."

The three powerful figures contemplated the forces that an enraged Kurosaki Ichigo could bring down upon the Court of Pure Souls and shuddered as chill winter fingers ran down their spines.

**X**

Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai looked over the emergency report on his desk and sighed. He had gone to the Central 46 and pleaded his case, but to no avail. The Soutaicho reflected on how the officials had somehow missed, in a rare moment of anger, the threat he had delivered to them when speaking of the consequences taking such action against the Kurosaki boy's sister. They believed the Gotei 13 would deal with the boy. That he would deal with the boy. Even more troubling, was when he pointed out that the Gotei 13 guarded all of Seireitei, not merely the offices of the Central 46, they had waved his points away, citing 'alternate security forces' that would defend them while the Gotei 13 kept the peace.

It had troubled the old man, to know that even indirect reference could be made to the Kagai 13 during session and no qualms were raised. Turning his gaze in the direction of the Central 46, Yamamoto lamented the fact that he had not dealt with _her_ when he had been given the chance, all those years ago. Without _her _guiding _her_ fellows, the Triumvirate would never have come to pass.

As he shifted his gaze again, turning to the sky, the Royal Dimension, Yamamoto gave out another sigh at the state of affairs in Seireitei. It would take so little effort to push them all into darkness. A breath of air from a butterfly's wings on the other side of the world was all that was needed.

And there was a hurricane on the horizon, with black clouds and red lightning.

**X x X**

_Snarling, all vestiges of his calm, urbane politeness gone, Hollow Renji leveled a murderous glare at his host and uttered one word, finally taking the weak, red headed ape before him seriously._

"_**Bankai**_**.**"

Rather than show fear, Renji's features set into a show of strength, his reiatsu glowing through his eyes. Before the smoke of Hollow Renji's Bankai release cleared, Renji held out his right hand and sent a surge of reiatsu through it, calling to Zabimaru. The hilt, stabbed into the main trunk, sprung from its position and flew to Renji's outstretched hand with a satisfying smack.

Without pause, Renji spoke a word to counter his Hollow.

"_Bankai._"

Reiatsu surged as the sky darkened, angry storm clouds stretching across the once clear sky. The damaged tree they stood on began to sway precariously as high winds picked up, sending debris from their fight and litter from the jungle floor far below them flying through the air.

When the smoke cleared, two beings faced each other, deadly weapons in hand. Renji, perched on the head of Hihio Zabimaru as it coiled beneath him, staring squarely at his opponent.

Hollow Renji stood on what remained of the next branch up across from Renji, his own Hihio Zabimaru rearing menacingly behind him. Rather than a bone coloured body, the Bankai wielded by Hollow Renji was grey white, and the mane that surrounded its neck was a harsh yellow. The fur cape that hung around Hollow Renji's shoulders was equally harsh, and seemed to highlight the savage gleam of the Hollow's eyes.

There was no signal, yet suddenly both were in motion. Renji stormed forward atop his Bankai, while Hollow Renji caused his Bankai to coil around himself, providing a formidable bunker.

As Renji prowled around the inverted Zabimaru atop his own, searching for an opening, the moving barricade of bone shifted slightly. From the gap between coils, the head of the inversed Zabimaru shot out, Hollow Renji standing on its head, cackling madly. All semblance of the overly polite Inner Hollow was gone, in its place stood an insane warrior hell bent on gaining control. The maw of Inverse Zabimaru closed around the body of the true Zabimaru, before snapping shut and breaking its victim in two.

Yet while Hollow Renji was an insane warrior, Renji was a raging berserker. Bereft of a tail, Renji guided Zabimaru forward by force of will alone, launching his counter attack. The fangs of Zabimaru left several deep gouges in the body of its alternate as Renji directed it to drag its fangs along his foe's Bankai.

Hollow Renji shrieked in anger as his attack had no apparent affect, in addition to robbing him of his fortified position. His attacks increased, battering the separated head and neck of Zabimaru relentlessly. Renji found himself knocked off his perch on Zabimaru's head, before colliding solidly with the tree on which they fought.

Renji scrambled to his feet, clutching the bone handle of Zabimaru in his fist. There was no time to reform his blade, Hollow Renji was almost upon him, causing Renji to wield his Bankai like a whip, forcing his foe back.

The Inner Hollow seemed focused, becoming slightly more lucid in pursuit of his goal as he tracked Zabimaru's movement with his eyes. Waiting for the opportune moment, Hollow Renji directed his Bankai forward. Renji's eyes widened as the Hollow Zabimaru latched on to his Bankai once again, shaking its head like a terrier.

Zabimaru shattered, leaving Renji holding the handle of his Bankai as Hollow Renji began to cackle. Without further grandstanding, the Hollow began to chase Renji down, hunting him like an animal. Renji leaped backwards, avoiding a vicious strike as he used his momentum to run up the tree trunk, putting some distance between himself and his pursuer.

His pursuer was having none of that. Hollow Renji kept harrying Renji as the Vaizard fled directly up the tree, using reiatsu to stick his feet to the trunk. Renji felt himself gain some breathing space and made to flip off the trunk and turn, a Kido incantation on his lips.

He was in error. As Renji flipped off the trunk, he realised that Hollow Renji had drawn away from the trunk and was using his Bankai to 'hover' above him as he followed, waiting for his chance. The maw of the inversed Zabimaru roared above him, taunting him.

"**I've thought of a wonderful present for you, Renji**," the Hollow smiled.

Hollow Renji's Bankai slammed into the tree trunk and hurled Renji out into the open air, out of reach of the tree and hundreds, possibly thousands of metres in the open sky. Renji's fingers grasped the air as he searched for a purchase, something, anything.

"**Shall I give you despair?**"

Renji barely had time to comprehend the taunt of his Inner Hollow before he was before him once again, the inversed Zabimaru slamming him back into the tree with a thud. Renji swayed as he got to his feet on the end of an undamaged branch, Hollow Renji landing lightly between him and the main trunk, his Bankai coiling around the branch they stood on to rear its head behind him.

"**How does it feel, to be defeated so utterly?**" Hollow Renji inquired with an indulgent smirk.

Renji's previous despondent pose was suddenly shed, as a devious grin spread across his features. His arm snapped out, drawing Hollow Renji's eyes to what he held in his hand—the bone handle of Zabimaru, still clutched tightly.

A surge of reiatsu burst from the handle, calling to its pieces. Within seconds, Zabimaru was reforming as pieces flew upwards from where they lay abandoned on the branches below.

Hollow Renji's eyes widened in alarm as he found Renji's Bankai staring him down, while his own Bankai was wrapped around the branch they stood on. He attempted to bring his weapon to bear, but by then it was too late.

"Hikotsu Taiho!"

A savage beam of red light issued forth from Zabimaru's maw, surging towards Hollow Renji with dreadful finality. The Hollow barely had time to tense before he was consumed by the vicious red blast.

The attack burned through Hollow Renji and his body instantly, continuing on through the tree trunk behind him. A two metre wide hole was bored through the tree, giving Renji a clear view through to the other side as Zabimaru screamed their victory to the skies.

"Tell me how it feels to be defeated, you fuck."

**X x X**

Nakajima Hayato stepped through the closed door of the Kurosaki residence. A sneer curled his lips as he examined the furnishings, disbelieving that someone of Kurosaki Ichigo's power would live in a dwelling so near to squalor. If _he_ had the fabled Hollow powers that Kurosaki was rumored to have, there was little chance he would be happy with his current station when he could take so much more.

He really should make a point to talk to Mayuri about that...

There was the sound of loud conversation accompanied by several crashes issuing from further within the house, prompting Nakajima to make his way towards them. He found himself staring at a dining area in the middle of a meal. With her back to him, a young, dark haired girl stood in front of her chair berating the bearded man seated across from her, ignoring his dramatic wails for mercy. At the head of the table sat his target, eating steadily as she watched her family bicker, as if it were a regular occurrence.

Nakajima smiled, the motion failing to reach his eyes. All too easy.

Suddenly there was a touch of cold steel at his throat and a menacing voice in his ear. "You have chosen to wrong house to burgle, my friend," the voice stated softly.

Nakajima froze in fear, but only for a second. In the reflection of the window across from him, the depraved Captain caught sight of an impossibility; the face of Kurosaki Isshin holding a zanpukutou whilst clad in shinigami robes with a foreign insignia badge on his arm, even as his body carried on like a fool at the dining table.

Nakajima didn't deign to reply. Realising that the elder Kurosaki was more than he appeared, the shinigami Captain blurred out of sight, anticipating his escape from the reach of his opponent.

A blindingly sharp pain stretched across his collar bone and over his shoulder, missing his throat by mere inches. Nakajima regarded his foe with shock written over his face—the man's blade had sliced through his very bone effortlessly. Nakajima now knew he was beyond outmatched by Kurosaki Isshin's power levels.

"I warned you," Isshin spoke again, his eyes never leaving the intruder. "Leave now, for I shall not do so again."

A chill ran down Nakajima's spine. He could not leave without completing his mission. He would lose prestige, rank, possibly his life, especially after his boasts made before the other Captains. Yet if he stayed, the incredibly dangerous man currently staring him down would not hesitate to end him. He began to sweat, cursing the Kagai intelligence for dropping the ball on the second Captain level Shinigami at the Kurosaki residence.

Nakajima came to a decision. There would be no time for games. He would barely be able to make the kill and escape as it was. He did not notice that the conversation had dropped off at the kitchen table, nor that the two young sisters were staring at him squarely.

With a single thought, Nakajima Hayato released his zanpukutou, counting on the surprise to give him precious seconds. _**Reveal, Kagami Kyoufushou!**_

Isshin surged forward, intent on cleaving the threat to his family into many tiny pieces—only to falter as he began to comprehend the image before him.

It was—no, it couldn't be, but at the same time, it was—Masaki, standing there before him, her gaze accusing, expression unforgiving.

"You couldn't save me," she accused. "Your lack of power killed me!"

Isshin's resolve to protect his children was strong. Stronger than the regrets he carried in regards to his late wife, yet the delay was enough. His step faltered, and then Nakajima was gone, fled through a wall without leaving any mark on it.

Isshin came close to trembling as adrenaline flushed throughout his system—he had hesitated, and one of his daughters could have died.

"Karin? Yuzu?" he asked softly as he lowered his blade, reassuring himself that his girls were fine.

"We're OK old man," Karin answered somewhat shakily, still affected by the unrestrained reiatsu that had flowed throughout the room moments previous as she looked to her sister for reassurance.

Yuzu made no response. She was still staring at the space where the intruder had stood before making his escape.

Then she collapsed, her head bouncing off the edge of the table and rolling to Isshin's feet as her body fell to the floor, the blood already beginning to stain her bright yellow dress as her head stared uncomprehendingly up at her father.

**X x X**

**So, I'm curious....does anybody hate me? *insert evil chuckle here* I was going to continue from that point, but I feel the reaction to feeling Yuzu's death would do better as a start, rather than an ending.**

**And yes, she is dead. Sorry, but it's not an affect of Nakajima's zanpukutou. **

**On another note, I've just realised how dependent this story is on OC's....and how much I dislike other fics that have a wide cast of them. Strange, huh?**

**I'll 'show' you guys what Tatsuki's and Renji's masks look like in the chapters to come, soon as I can get to a scanner and upload the 'artwork' I've done of them. **

**Also, the underlined bit of text in Renji's inner battle....can anyone tell me where that's from? Cookie to you if you can. Ditto for Hollow Renji's taunts towards the end.**

**Biribiri Yaiba: Ripping Blade—Sachike's zanpukutou. **

**Kagami K****youfushou: Mirror ********Morbid Fear—Nakajima's zanpukutou**

******Once again, hope you've enjoyed, and please review.**

******Oh, and I get to use Uni as an excuse for not updating now, not just general laziness. **


	25. Sleeping Dragon Rises

**No one got the Narnia reference...but a few of ya got the Advent Children one. Now let's go see what happens when you piss off a Kurosaki...**

Ichigo delivered a powerful backhanded blow to Berserk Renji's mask, sending the Hollow crashing through a number of trees and into a demolished clearing. The beast began to get to its feet once more, causing a scowl to spread across Ichigo's face. The damn thing was a persistent fucker.

Then the Hollow faltered. It began to howl, swinging Zabimaru around wildly with one hand as the other clutched at its 'face'. The white armour that covered its body began to crack, red light shining through the gaps. The three red lines below the left eye started to glow, before bursting out of their constraints and sending a maze of cracks across the entire mask.

Berserk Renji gave one last, anguished howl. There was a detonation of reiatsu—perfectly balanced reiatsu, that of a true Vaizard—and smoke was kicked up all around the clearing the Hollow stood in.

Ichigo grinned. Took the bastard long enough. He took up a guard position around his once again sane friend with one eye on the skirmish continuing around them, the other observing Renji's mask. It had remained mostly the same, more of a helmet than an actual mask as it wrapped around his head with a circular cut out of the top that forced his hair out of its pony tail to flow out the gap.

"So slow, Renji," Ichigo drawled as he dropped out of his guard and sat on the edge of the remains of a tree stump. "What were you waiting for, your Hollow to die of old age?"

"Shut up, bastard," Renji gasped back from his position kneeling on the ground. "I was probably faster than you."

"If that's what helps you sleep at night," Ichigo teased him good naturedly, conveniently ignoring the fact that he knew he had taken much longer.

Renji's breathing slowly began to even out as he took in his surroundings, raising an eyebrow at the destruction they had caused in their battle. "Damn. We kick ass. Seireitei's gonna have a ball fixing this up," he stated with a chuckle.

"Ah, fuck em," Ichigo replied freely. "It'll keep them on their toes. Maybe it'll distract the stuffy old buggers in the Central 46 from more important things, stop them from screwing anything else up too badly."

Renji felt a slight chill at Ichigo's words, but shook it off as the strange feeling of his reiatsu—it was controlled, he realised. No longer a chaotic mix of hollow and shinigami; it had become more powerful and streamlined. Well, comparatively streamlined. His reiatsu had always been pretty wild.

"Should we join the party overhead?" Renji asked, watching as Urahara, Yoruichi, Hitsugaya, Tatsuki and Rukia tore through the masked SMC members while Soi Fon seemed to be holding the advantage in her fight with their commander as she threw blow after blow enhanced with Shunko at her replacement.

"Nah," Ichigo answered, plunging Zangetsu into the ground between his knees. "The battle feels like it's just about to start winding up. And you're going to be hit with the bitchiest wave of exhaustion you've ever felt."

"If you say so," Renji replied doubtfully, but conceded to Ichigo's prior experience. There was also a nagging feeling at the back of his mind, the part where his Hollow had always seemed the most active, that seemed against the idea of arguing further.

Ichigo's prediction bore out within the next five minutes, as Renji suffered through a bout of weakness unlike any he had felt before, save the time he had fought his Captain shortly after gaining his Bankai, and the Onmitsukido squads began to fall back, forming defensive squares around the location the Senkei gates had first deployed them. They seemed to be waiting for something, yet Ichigo couldn't guess it for the life of him.

Another powerful presence appeared on the edge of the battlefield and began to streak towards the SMC holdouts. Not recognising the reiatsu signature, Ichigo's comrades were on their guard but made no move to stop the newcomer. When he appeared within the defensive square next to all of the incapacitated SMC their still fighting comrades had managed to salvage, he was breathing rapidly and taking deep gulps of air, seemingly hyperventilating. Ichigo recognised him as one of the Kagai Captains who had assaulted the Urahara Shoten shortly after the infection of his friends.

"Nakamura!" he screamed, an air of panic in his voice. "Mission accomplished, we need to _leave!_"

Soi Fon's opponent made a quick gesture and there was a small explosion of Kido between them, giving him precious seconds to distance himself from her and make it to the transient safety of the defensive square. Another burst of Kido along with a more complicated gesture and a row of small Senkei gates began to open and within ten seconds the Onmitsukido squads had retreated from the world of the living.

"Well," Urahara remarked, as he and the others dropped down to ground level to surround Ichigo and Renji, "that was unexpected."

It was then that Ichigo realised that the powerful late addition to the battle had left a reiatsu trail leading all the way to his home.

**X x X**

Ichigo flickered into sight on the road outside his house, eyes narrowing as he felt two heavy reiatsu signatures lingering in the air. One matched the Kagai Captain who had ordered the retreat of the SMC, while the other was unknown and much stronger...or still present. His fist tightened around Zangetsu as he strode into the house, paying no attention to the hard looks on his comrades at his back.

The first thing Ichigo noticed as he stepped through his wall was an unfamiliar shinigami kneeling on the floor with his head bowed. The muscles in his arm twitched unconsciously and his blade was halfway to the man's neck before the fact that it was his father filtered through to his brain.

"Dad? What—what the fuck?" Ichigo stammered, halting the motion of his blade. "What's going on?" he asked, watching his father yet receiving no response. He turned next to Karin, noting her pale face and unfocused eyes. "Karin? What happened?"

Still getting no response, Ichigo looked over his shoulder at his comrades only to receive a number of helpless shrugs in reply. Intending to shake the answers out of his father, he turned back to face his family. It was then that he noticed who was missing.

"Dad, where's—" Ichigo paused, his eyes sliding over his father's shoulder and into the doorway leading to the kitchen, "-Yuzu? What happened to these two?"

Isshin's head snapped up and towards the kitchen area, where he caught sight of his daughter standing in its entrance. He was on his feet before Ichigo could even process his reaction, Karin rapidly on his heels. They crashed into Yuzu and pulled her to the floor as they wrapped their arms around her, giving Ichigo a short glimpse of her confused face.

Ichigo could hear quiet sobbing coming from Karin, perplexing him further. Karin _never_ cried. He took a step towards his family before continuing, "guys, can someone expl-"

Rukia, Tatsuki and Renji each felt a spiritual tremor run through their bodies as Ichigo froze, wincing at the sensation. Despite the force of the reiatsu, it appeared that the three of them were the only ones who had felt it. They exchanged an uneasy glance.

Rukia stepped up to put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. She made to speak, before catching sight of what had stopped her partner so suddenly in his tracks.

Yuzu's decapitated head sat on the kitchen floor staring lifelessly at him as the spiritual body of his sister was being embraced tightly by her twin and his father as her soul chain trailed behind her.

Ichigo watched as his father rose to his feet, leaving Karin clutching at a still confused Yuzu. Isshin turned to face him as thoughts and reactions blasted through his mind.

Isshin began to explain, his face hard, "Ichigo, there is a reas—"

"Who."

Isshin stalled at his son's interruption, slightly confused. "I'm still your father Ichigo. Never dou—"

"I'm not," Ichigo raised a and forestalling any arguments, despite his gaze remaining locked with the severed head of his sister on the floor. "I'm sure you have your reasons. Some of them are probably even good ones. The question I asked was '**who**'."

Isshin hid a small shiver at his son's tone, before gathering his thoughts. "He wore the haori of the 5th Division Captain," Isshin recalled.

"Nakajima Hayato," Hitsugaya interrupted, recalling the vain man's introduction from the battle for Urahara's shop.

"**He dies**," Ichigo spoke in a heavy monotone.

"Ichigo," Isshin began to warn, "now isn't the time for a blind revenge trip."

A cruel smile made its way across Ichigo's face as his gaze shifted away from Yuzu's head. His comrades tensed as they caught sight of the encroaching darkness and yellow pupils in his eyes. "**Revenge is a dish best served immediately. And we will not be blind. We know exactly what we are going to do.**"

"We?" Urahara asked curiously in his careless voice, as Yoruichi rested her chin on his shoulder with a grin playing across her face.

"**The King, the Blade and the Servant,**" came Ichigo's cryptic reply. A flicker of slight understanding crossed Urahara's face, although Rukia, Tatsuki and Renji paled.

There was a pregnant pause in the wake of Ichigo's declaration. It was Rukia who broke it.

"Yuzu cannot remain in the world of the living. We must perform the soul burial to keep her safe from the Hollow who pick up her scent," Rukia said, holding a hand to the bridge of her nose.

"If we perform the konso, the 12th Division will be able to track her to Soul Society," Isshin argued. "That was probably their goal from the start."

"She can't stay here," Urahara pointed out from behind his fan. "A wandering soul with a spirit as tantalising as a Kurosaki's? Not to mention the deteriorating effects that come from remaining in the living world for too long after death."

"We could manipulate the area that she arrives within the Soul Society," Yoruichi suggested idly. "Sneak in and get to her before any of the Gotei patrols located her."

"And take her to an ally," Isshin continued, relief showing on his face. "Kuukaku will not begrudge me this favour, regardless of her personal problems with me. We can hide-"

"**Sneak? Hide?**" Ichigo interrupted harshly. "**They have attacked the family. We will not cower. They must be** _**punished**_** for their transgressions.**"

"What would you do against the Gotei 13, Ichigo? Even dissatisfied as they are, the Captains will not take an attack on Seireitei lying down," Soi Fon argued. "Even you can't take them all on their own."

The stench of Hollow reiatsu in the room rose, to the point where Karin and Yuzu found it hard to breathe. "**I will not be alone, woman. My Court will support me,**" Ichigo boasted, his words causing his three fellow Vaizard in the room to straighten up subconsciously. He bared his teeth at those in the room. "**And attack is such a mild word. I was thinking of something more along the lines of **_**invasion**_**.**"

When there was no response forthcoming, Ichigo grinned in satisfaction. "**Tatsuki, Renji**," he directed, "**return to the Den and explain our intentions.**" His eyes flashed, "**I am sure the Quincy would love an opportunity to demonstrate why his race was feared by the Shinigami centuries past. Our Queen and I have business in Heaven.**"

Renji and Tatsuki nodded once before flash stepping away, their instincts telling them to _obey_ the King. Ichigo and Rukia made to follow, only to be blocked from the door.

"Ichigo," Isshin barked, his face hard, before relenting. "Cause as much chaos as you can. Make them pay for what they did to Yuzu," he ordered. "Try not to kill any of our allies," he finished airily as he moved out of their way, just a hint of his old goofy personality showing through.

A rumble of approval in Ichigo's throat was the only response, sending vibrations though the reiatsu he was emitting. Rukia seemed to shiver in pleasure, before the darkness began to spread across her own eyes.

And then they were gone, leaving only the barest of flickers in their wake.

Those remaining in the Kurosaki living room exchanged glances, not entirely sure on what the next step should be. It was Karin who summed up the situation nicely.

"They're fucked," she stated bluntly as she stood at Yuzu's side, each of them with an arm about the other.

Isshin seemed to take this as his cue, although he managed to refrain from pouncing on his daughters. "Such language, my lovely twins! Where did I go wrong for you to pick up such vile words?"

Urahara ruffled Yoruichi's hair as he flicked his fan shut, revealing a wide grin to offset his fervent eyes. "Come now, my darling! We have preparations to make!"

Yoruichi scowled as she licked her hand and patted her hair down flat once more in a very feline action. Nevertheless, she did follow her companion out of the house—although her eyes were firmly fixed on his precious fan.

Isshin turned away from his daughters to face the remaining two figures standing in his living room. "Where do you stand with what you know, Soi Fon, Hitsugaya?" he asked, despite his lack of doubt to their loyalties.

Hitsugaya replied for the both of them, "we split from the Gotei 13 because I could not agree with the orders coming from the Central 46."

Soi Fon nodded her agreement before continuing, "they've only gotten worse since then. Ordering the execution of a civilian...?" she shook her head. "That is far beyond their authority. To dare to go so far, they must have begun to relieve the Soutaicho of his peace-time powers."

A look of satisfaction crept across Isshin's face as he absorbed their words. "Then it seems we've found what we can do to advance our cause."

Hitsugaya gave Isshin an inquisitive look whilst a savage grin of understanding appeared on Soi Fon.

"We give the Captain-Commander back his wartime powers," Isshin stated, the controlled rage in his eyes rising to the surface as he gazed at Yuzu's empty corpse. "Leave them in no doubt of the consequences of fucking with a Kurosaki."

**X x X**

In the skies above Seireitei...

The sound of reality tearing pulsed through the air as a dark gaping maw opened above the 5th Division barracks, sending the shinigami below scurrying for their posts as they cried the alarm. Two masked figures stepped out from the Garganta, one mask adorned with red stripes, the other with snowflake teardrops. The taller of the two figures gazed down upon figures below and raised his slender black blade above his head.

"**Getsuga Tenshou**," came the whispered command.

The wave of dark crimson lined energy swept towards the earth and impacted in the mess hall with a mighty crash. Ichigo smirked. The opening blow of his war on Seireitei had been struck.

**X**

Rukia parried the hastily swung blade, smirking at the fearful expression on the rank and file shinigami's face. Her reiatsu enhanced fist pummeled into his jaw, sending the hapless grunt flying. She wasn't quite up to pulling up a Bala, their time in Hueco Mundo hadn't taught her that, but she was close.

Ichigo continued his wanton destruction of the 5th Division headquarters with Rukia guarding his back. Resistance had been minimal-they had been above the Seireitei for close to five minutes, with only the local shinigami squads opposing them.

Ducking a slightly more skilled opponent, Rukia gestured and a rope of golden light curled around her attacker and two other shinigami who were attempting to sneak up on her King as he blasted the earth with another Getsuga.

Wordless low level binding Kido, Rukia smirked internally. I could get used to this kind of power.

"Stop! Why are you doing this? We are your allies!"

Ichigo paused in his attack, casually grabbing a nearby shinigami by the throat before replying, "Seireitei ceased being my ally when its 5th Captain took the head of my kid sister off her shoulder in our own home, in front of my own family." He squeezed the neck of his captive, cutting off their air supply. "Whether I take just his head in payment or all of yours first is up to you."

"Heh, you're full of shit," one of the watching shinigami scoffed. "The two of you can't take the 5th Division, let alone our heads, no matter what kind of freaky Hollow-shinigami reiatsu you're putting out."

Any reply that Ichigo was about to make was cut off by the harsh tearing that accompanied the forming of a second Garganta. The arrogant shinigami watched as four new figures stepped forth.

"Wow. Three traitors, two mere humans and a wannabe shinigami. Watch me tremble," he sneered, causing several of his companions to laugh in the background. A number of others, perhaps the smarter ones, subtly began to inch behind the offenders.

The realisation of just how wrong he was began to worm its way into the arrogant shinigami's mind as the shorter of the two 'mere humans' gestured and formed an electric blue bow from nothing to aim at the assembled shinigami with a crazed gleam shining out from behind his glasses as his fellow human tensed and caused his arms to morph into their battle state, reeking of Hollow reiatsu. The three traitors grinned as one and pulled a single hand across their faces, leaving their foes to watch in horror as their terrifying new visage spread across their faces and the air around them grew heavy with reiatsu, weighing them down.

Ichigo grabbed the chin of his mask and tilted it back, revealing his golden black eyes for all to see. He smiled lightly, showing an expanse of sharp pointed teeth that only served to make him all the more terrifying.

"I'm glad that you understand your situation."

**X x X**

The tumult echoed throughout the chambers as a number of frightened men and women argued over how to respond to the incursion taking place in the locale of the 5th Division headquarters. The numerous raised voices in the room made it impossible to distinguish what any one person was saying—or rather, shouting at their peers.

In the upper tiers of the Central 46 chambers, a much quieter discussion was being held by the three members that controlled the true power of the governing body.

"Your scheme has failed to produce favourable results," Lord Ryosuke, member of the Triumvirate accused.

Hirato glared at the man and his sunken, bloodshot eyes. "I fail to recall your offer of an alternative solution. Based on past interaction, a vengeful attack does not fit the Kurosaki boy's profile. He should have been reduced in his grief."

Lady Murasaki, the third member of the Triumvirate, allowed a brief feeling of victory to seep through her mind as she watched the results of her manipulations unfold before her. Keeping her face blank, she redirected the conversation with the reminder, "this misjudgment is not the issue at hand. We must focus on fixing our error before we can uncover where we went wrong."

Hirato and Ryosuke gave her grudging glances of acknowledgment. Ryosuke continued, "we can pit the Gotei Captains whose loyalties we are unsure of against the intruders."

Hirato nodded his agreement with the younger man. "They are still under our peace-time command, it is a plausible idea."

"That solution has been preempted by the Soutaicho," Murasaki cut her colleagues off swiftly. "According to our friend Kurotsuchi, he received a communication declaring the establishment of a war time footing from the 1st Squad moments before their sensors detected the portal above the 5th Squad."

Hirato scowled heavily at the information. "He will send our supporters in as a first response."

"No doubt he is aware of Nakajima's most recent mission," Ryosuke replied with a sour twist of his mouth.

"Then we need leverage. From the few reports we have received, the Kurosaki brat and the allies he is most likely to have brought with him more than match our Kagai Captains," Hirato asserted. "We should be thankful that the group they call 'Vaizards' chose to leave Karakura Town recently."

"Order their unofficial subordinates to battle with them," Ryosuke supplied as he ran his eyes over the squabbling chamber.

"I do not believe we should tip our hand as to our true military capability until we hold the advantage, rather than waste the surprise as a buffering action," Murasaki intervened, the sly gleam in her eyes going unnoticed by her colleagues.

"Force is not the only leverage we have to apply," Ryosuke answered the rebuke with burning eyes.

The feeling of victory Murasaki was concealing turned to one of pleasure as her 'fellow' Triumvirate members approached the solution she wished them to find without any further prodding or subtle hints on her part. Their actions would tear the established powers apart and leave the victors weak and ripe for the taking.

Her Master would be pleased.

**X x X**

Ichigo sighed as his blade tore through the shoulder of the foolish and arrogant shinigami, cleaving bone in two. The air surrounding him and his five comrades was momentarily clear, giving him the time to sense a number of powerful reiatsu presences approaching in the distance. One of them, one he had felt only once before as a lingering trace in his house, set his mind alight with thoughts of carnage and sweet bloody vengeance.

His gaze swept to the compound below. He was done playing around.

"**Burn it,**" his layered voice permeated the air around them. "**Burn it all.**"

**Notes: I have come to the conclusion that I am a lazy bugger. When there is work to be done, I have an urge to write. When I have time on my hands, all I want to do is read. Thankfully, Uni starts again in less than a week so I shall have ample amounts of work to put off in order to write again.**

**Encourage me to write more! Review! I want to hear your thoughts.**


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